Provision

She cannot take her eyes off my cereal

Virginia is absolutely obsessed with food. I have never in my life seen a dog that is done growing get so excited to eat her regular every day food. Whenever its time for her to eat, she sits at our feet, wagging her tail frantically, and will even resort to jumping and attacking us with kisses to remind us not-so-subtly that it is time for dinner! Since we are the ones who feed her everyday, she comes to attack us. She knows who provides for her needs and trusts that we will feed her when she needs it. She doesn't try to hunt while we are outside, or worry about what will happen when she's hungry again. Even though she can't see the bag of food in our closet, she knows it is there because we have fed her from it every single day. She is fully aware and at peace with the fact that she is totally dependent on us, and isn't afraid to ask for what she needs from the ones who meet her needs and care for her.

In the same way, I am totally dependent on God to meet my needs. Yet I have a hard time trusting in Him to provide for me. I worry all the time about how I will provide for my family. I worry I don't make enough money, that something will happen that we financially aren't prepared for, that we aren't saving enough, and on and on. The worries are almost endless. I frequently believe a lie that I have to provide for myself, and stress about all of the unknowns that I cannot control. God, on the other hand, is not surprised by anything, is in control of everything, has everything I need at His disposal. He is the perfect provider. I can't always see how He will provide, but He has provided for me every single day of my life, so I should be able to remember that and believe He will continue to. The truth is that He will provide for me whether I believe He will or not, and I am not my own provider even if I think I am. Therefore, I can choose to worry over things I have no control over, or choose to trust in Christ to provide for me, and live without stress and worry in my life. The only thing I can control is my own attitude. 

It wouldn't make any sense for Virginia to try to hunt for her own food when we've got a big bag of dog food waiting for her in our home. In the same way, it doesn't make any sense for me to worry about my needs being met when the God of the Universe has promised to provide for everything I need. My prayer is that the Lord would give me faith to trust in Him to provide for all of my needs every day, and not rely on my limited abilities.