Surrender: The Way to True Provision

There I lay, face down on the couch telling God that I quit, I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t figure it out, telling Him “I give up.” Literally, in that moment, the moment after I told Him “I give up,” I heard the still, small whisper of a voice lovingly say, “Good, now get up.” So I did. What I didn’t know is that God had already figured it out and answered the prayer I couldn’t. He had kept His promise to me, I just hadn’t seen it with my eyes yet. 

Throughout the entirety of the book of Exodus, the Israelites go back and forth from faith and obedience to rebellion and doubt. They knew the promises of living in a land of abundance, but lost sight of it when their circumstances didn’t seem to be leading them there quickly. God blessed the Israelites with a leader named Moses who constantly interceded and communed with God for the people. After many shortcomings of the people, God warns of sending them into the promised land without His presence, but Moses, the intercessor, stands in the gap for his people. He tells the Lord, 

“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” Exodus 33:15-16

Moses knew from experience that the presence of the Lord and connection with Him was his most pressing need. When that connection was in place, everything else fell into place. Impossible obstacles were overcome (Exodus 14:11-16), provision came from unlikely sources (Exodus 16:11-14), bitter water turned sweet (Exodus 15:22-25), and life came from hard places (Exodus 17:4-6). Every time the people were frustrated, grumbling and threatening revolt, Moses knew the answer would come from his connection with the Lord. As we saw in the verses above, there are times the Lord asked Moses to take a specific action and other times the Lord took action Himself. This resulted in the people of Israel being set apart and distinct as the people connected to the One True God. The same offer stands for us today. If we value connection with the Lord above all other connections, He will guide, teach, and save us in ways that set us apart and make us distinct from the ways of the world. And remember, His way leads to the promised land, the land of rest and abundance. 

It’s important that we understand abundance and provision don’t always look the way we think they will look, but they are always what God intends for them to be and always on His timeline. So, the next time you have a moment where you are in need like the Israelites, or are done trying to figure it out, like me, turn to the source of all provision and the answer to all questions and cry out to Him. For me, the result was fresh hope and a moment to watch God move on my behalf. The provision I needed for that day came, and it left me wondering at a God who sent someone to give what I needed most! Water from a rock, bread from the sky, and real provision today…turn to the Lord and let the rest fall into place.