God the Provider

Throughout the book of Genesis, one of the strongest themes that we see is that God provides. His provision is seen in his mercy towards Noah and his family. In cooperation with His blessing, God provides for Abraham in so many ways. He protects Abraham when he’s in Egypt. He provides a sacrifice in place of Isaac. Over and over again, we see that God is the only provider and the people in Genesis interacted with Him in light of that reality. But what about us? For us today, we see God as either a supernatural vending machine, who dispenses good things whenever we ask, regardless of their benefit to us, or we see Him as someone who is incapable of providing for our needs, so we try and secure them on our own. Neither of those is the God who we see in Genesis, or throughout the pages of scripture.

Read Genesis 24:29-67

All over this passage we see the theme of God’s provision. Abraham’s servant is given a big task, find a wife for the favored son Isaac. Abraham, trusting that God would provide and not giving into the temptation to find Isaac a Canaanite wife, sends the servant back to his home country. Abraham publically puts his trust in God, and that trust is contagious, so much so, that when the servant gets back to Abraham’s hometown, he too puts his trust in the fact that God will provide. He asks God to provide a sign so that he can find the right woman for Isaac. And we see very clearly, that it was God who brought Rebekah to Isaac. The exact sign that the servant asks for, God provides.

So how does the servant respond? Really, how do all the people in this story respond to the reality of God’s provision? They worship. They bow down and give God the praise. The servant does it. Genesis 24:26-27. Not only does the servant worship and give God the credit, but Rebekah’s family does as well. Genesis 24:50 tells us, “Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, ‘The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.” Its significant that what started with Abraham’s faith in God’s provision is so contagious to those around him.

Take a moment to reflect on your own understanding of God’s provision. Do you see God as a vending machine? Or do you act like He’s powerless to do what you ask Him to do. God is neither of those things. What are the things that God is asking you to trust Him with? Maybe promises He’s made and is in the process of fulfilling, and He’s asking you to trust Him. Ask God to help you trust in His provision, to give you confidence in the reality that He does provide, and praise Him for that. And like Abraham’s faith in God’s provision, be contagious. Let those around you know that your faith is in the God who provides.