08 May 2007

Provisions Plus




Just thought I would post something since I haven't in a long while. These were photos taken on my third fastest birthday yet, my 30-second birthday. We had a team meeting and had a small party at India Palace.

I wanted to type some words from Isaiah 55 in the Message version:

"I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
God's Decree.

"For as the sky roars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them."

So, let me ask you something. Do you trust God to provide? Do rich countries need to become richer before they will be capable of producing extra food? Or is God already providing enough food? Does it have to become cheaper for us before we can make it available to them? Do we trust God to provide?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, how was gradation? Congratulations!!

Great thoughts and questions in this post, Jason.

We were at the Pepperdine lectures last week and during our Friday night praise session, Chris Goldman gave the devotional message. We sang 'Blessed Be the Name of the Lord' before he spoke and he talked about how Christians in the Western World usually don't say 'blessed be the name of the Lord' during hard times and we also don't really know how to say 'blessed be the name of the Lord' in good times, either. He mentioned how people in third world countries know well how to say 'blessed be the name of the Lord' for every little thing. As the Lord said, "Blessed be the poor..." for they are not blinded to seeing the provision of the Lord.

I think that if we committed to saying 'blessed be the name of the Lord' in all things, and I mean all things, we would see how He provides for every little need. I hope that as I see how He provides for every little need, I will realize just how little I really do need. Then, maybe, I will understand the plenty that I have and will give to others and let go of the things I grasp so that God can use them as He knows they can best be used.

I don't much hope for a country becoming more giving and trusting God to set the standard of provision (which, if we take His words to Israel, His provision will be far beyond our imagination - not just materially speaking, but in every facet of Life). Satan, with his limited authority and power during this stage of eternity, has his twisted hand and backwards philosophy in the doings of mankind. I do believe these questions must be directed to the church before we will see the real work of the Lord through the Spirit and break out of this stagnancy.

Derrick Rogers said...

Happy birthday and Congratulations.
Naomi and I are going to be passing through and/or staying the night in Memphis on the 25th of May. We were wondering if you and nicole are going to be available to hook up at that time? Send me an email.

as for your posting, It seems that we already have everything we need. God is our provision and he provides though grace and even through the earth. People go hungry because we are convinced that we don't have everything we need. We are an obese people who are constantly hungry, constantly wanting more- gluttons and addicts.

Jason said...

Awesome comments, Jenny . . . and Derrick! Thanks.