God’s Glory in His Provision

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will cause bread to rain from heaven for you; the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them [to determine] whether or not they will walk [obediently] in My instruction (law). And it shall be that on the sixth day, they shall prepare to bring in twice as much as they gather daily [so that they will not need to gather on the seventh day].” So Moses and Aaron said to all Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, for He hears your murmurings against the Lord. What are we, that you murmur and rebel against us?” (Exodus 16:4-7, AMP)

In 2014, back in the days before this website existed, God laid it on my heart to go on a mission trip to Africa. At the onset, I thought the obvious path was to go with a family friend that had an organization in Tanzania. That mission would consist of traveling in the African bush, visiting tribes and ministering to them over the course of about two or three weeks.

There were months of planning, between figuring out what vaccines I’d need, supplies, putting my finances in order to fund it, and travel logistics. Finally, it came time to buy the plane tickets and try as I did, confirming a booking proved impossible. I’d have the tickets, pick my seat, enter my payment information, and submit, but for some reason each time I tried, the seat was no longer available. This happened several times with multiple airlines before my mom stepped in and voiced my own concern: Something wasn’t right. 

She suggested I speak with someone at my university and see if they had any programs in the study abroad office that would assist in booking my flight to Tanzania.

The next day, I went up to my school, praying the whole way. I knew God gave me the desire to go to Africa and I knew it right down to my soul. I just didn’t understand why God wasn’t opening that door so I could get there.

When I sat down across from the woman who ran the study abroad department at my university and explained the situation to her, she said, “Why are you trying to go for two weeks when you could go for a whole semester? If the idea is to really help people in that country, why not maximize your time there and really immerse yourself in the culture?”

It hadn’t been something I considered until she said it. I said I didn’t know how I’d pay for a whole semester, since I had basically put all my money together to fund the few weeks in Tanzania. She asked if I had an academic scholarship, which I did. She flippantly waved her hand and said, “So plan a study abroad trip. Your scholarship will fund whatever classes you take, lodging, and most of the logistics. You’ll just need to cover airfare and pocket change.”

That started a year-long journey in planning a study abroad trip to Cape Town, South Africa. In the end, God provided a mission trip I could never have dreamt up for myself that allowed me to travel to, experience, and serve townships in Cape Town beyond my expectations. 

God provided. And when I read the above verses where Israel is grumbling about being hungry and God provides, it stirs up my spirit. I know something about God providing out of resources we never knew existed. For me, it was allocating my academic scholarships to facilitate a mission trip. For Israel, it was letting God rain bread and meat out of thin air.

But the Israelites didn’t get to kick back. God didn’t just drop that blessing directly into their mouths. No, they had to get up and gather those provisions. They had to partner up their obedience to enjoy the miracle. It was the same for me. I didn’t just get to pick a program and send a letter for the university to cut a check. God made a way, but I had to commit myself to walking in obedience to the call God put on my heart by putting the physical pieces in place in setting up the trip.

God made a way, and I matched classes in course catalogs to make sure the credits I earned at the University of Cape Town would translate to my own course hours at home. God provided and I busted my butt to get all the requirements together for a travel visa– still one of the hardest processes I’ve ever gone through. God moved and I sat down with financial aid and made sure all the right people were paid. And in July of 2015, I stepped out of the airport, saw the mountains of Cape Town, and I was dumbstruck by the glory of God. 

Even though my hands and feet did the physical work, God provided. He made a way unexpectedly and with resources I didn’t expect. The Lord was the one that blocked every plane ticket to Tanzania. He was the one that not only gave me a desire to serve His people in Africa, but He was also the one that ordained for it to specifically be His people in Gugulethu, Mitchells Plain, and Imizamo Yethu.

A big part of me wishes I had Soul Deep when I was there, but another part of me knows that was God’s design. That time of serving was also a precious time of spiritual growth for me to know God on a level I didn’t yet. It was deeply personal and intimate even though it was about serving a community.

Just like Israel in the wilderness, God showed me His glory– not in an ethereal or mystical sense– but in his goodness and mercy, providing for me out of His means. And I can confidently bet that it’s the same for you. Think on it and I know you will find something that God provided for out of resources only He could know about. Is it a car? A job? A church, a community, or a home? Is it your very own salvation, by drawing near to Himself a heart that was so adamantly set against Him in your own flesh?

We don’t have to be Israel, lost in the wilderness and fleeing a pharaoh, to know the glorious workings of God. We can see it in the practical ways He takes care of us, daily providing for us and inviting us to walk in obedience to steward it. 

The world, and even the American church, will say that the strength and purity of your faith makes provision like that possible– where you can see His glory– but that is only partially true. God does require our faith in Him in that we cannot provide for or save ourselves. But it is not the renown of our faith that turns the head of our Father for Him to notice and stretch out His hand. He pours out provisions when it pleases Him to do so and He makes a way when He ordains one. 

The only thing He requires of us is to obediently follow His instructions in stewarding the provision correctly. From that position of humility and grace are we able to see the magnitude and wonder of His glory.