It often begins with a question. Where is God when the need is greatest?
The question doesn’t arise when the cupboards are full or the bank balance is healthy, but in the lean places, the waiting rooms of life, the late-night moments when anxiety outpaces hope. We speak of God’s provision, but what does it really mean to be provided for?
The Bible, in its unflinching honesty, never glosses over the tension. It gives us people with empty hands and aching hearts. And it gives us a God who doesn’t always respond as we anticipate, but who always responds.
Take Abraham. The story in Genesis 22 is unsettling. A father asked to place his son on an altar. It’s one of the most haunting passages in Scripture, not just because of the request but because of the silence between it and the resolution. Abraham climbs the mountain, Isaac in tow, with only a strange, trembling trust: “God himself will provide the lamb.” And somehow, in the nick of time, God does. A ram in the thicket. Provision—not ahead of time, but not too late either.
We find that pattern echoed throughout Scripture.
There’s the widow of Zarephath, preparing her last meal before death. There’s the nation of Israel, hungry in the wilderness, receiving manna just for the day; no stockpiling, no guarantees beyond morning .And centuries later, on a Galilean hillside, loaves were broken and fish distributed – handed out until every stomach was filled, and then some. Twelve baskets of leftovers. More than enough.
Provision again. Not just barely, but abundantly. But notice—only after the hunger, only after the need had surfaced. God could have prevented the hunger. Instead, He allowed it… and then stepped into it.
God’s provision rarely aligns with human calendars or calculations. Prayers for rescue are sometimes seemingly met with silence. Requests for daily bread may be answered—sometimes with just a slice. And yet, when looking back, a thread begins to emerge: the rent that was somehow paid, the friend who arrived with groceries, the peace that settled in the middle of a financial storm.
God provides. Yes. But often in ways that reveal more about us than about Him. Do we really trust Him when there’s no plan B? Can we believe that scarcity might be the soil in which dependence grows?
Jesus seemed to think so. “Do not worry,” He said. “Your Father knows what you need.” And then He pointed to wildflowers and birds as if to say, They are living proof that you can stop clutching and start trusting. Provision is not a vending machine. It’s more like manna—enough for the day, an invitation to walk in trust.
If you find yourself in a waiting place perhaps between jobs, between paychecks, between prayers and their answers – you’re not alone. Scripture is full of people just like you. And behind their stories is a God who did not always provide in anticipated ways, but always provided Himself. His provision often came in unexpected forms like manna from heaven, a ram in the thicket, water from a rock, a baby in a manger. He is known for defying human expectations, and yet somehow, always giving what was most needed: His presence.
Perhaps that’s the deeper provision we miss in the moment: not just the bread, but the Presence. Not just the answer, but the companionship.
Maybe, just maybe, that’s just what we’ve needed most all along.