God Provides

“The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.’”

Acts 23:11

Has someone ever told you “God will provide” when you are worrying about something? Or maybe you yourself offered this “word of advice” to someone? Have you ever really thought about those words or have they become so routine that it comes automatically? Those couple of words “God provides” actually says a whole lot. To me, I think it is really a statement of faith, “I believe.”

When St. Paul defended himself before the Jewish officials, he used what he knew about each group to his advantage and soon the two groups began to argue and Paul was moved to safety. We are told that the Lord came to him at night, encouraged him, and tasked him with a mission. St. Paul knew that it was the Lord who got him through safely earlier and he trusted that God will bring him safely to his next destination and bring great good out of it. St. Paul believed that “God provides.”

Sometimes in our lives we may feel lost and perhaps that the whole world is against us. It is at these moments that we must take to heart the words “God provides.” It’s not just a reassuring phrase for the mind, it’s a confession of faith and trust in who God is and who we are. When we say “God provides,” may our hearts be moved knowing that God indeed does provide and that He will give to us all that we need at that particular moment. Just as the Lord brought St. Paul safely out of the arguments between the two groups of Jewish officials and then revealed to him what he needed to do next, so will God take us each one step at a time, giving to us what we need for each step, and when the time comes, He will stand by our side and say, “Take courage. I am with you. I will provide.”