Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

The image I get is of baby birds in the nest. (Not that of a dentist, despite one dentist having put this on the wall of his clinic.) God is reminding His people of how He has cared for them in the past, and He is admonishing them for seeking other gods to help them in their difficulty. The point is, as long as we have a Plan B, we aren’t really trusting God. Many people say they trust God, but their actions show otherwise. That’s not to say we aren’t to be frugal with our resources; being wasteful is hardly good stewardship. However, it is to say we aren’t to be anxious about providing for ourselves. This is certainly timely, considering the current unemployment rate! Jesus said very clearly that our focus is to be on God, His kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) We are not to be passive moochers, but the focus of our thoughts and activity should be God and not ourselves. Again, this must not be an excuse for laziness, as Paul made very clear. (2 Thessalonians 3:10) However, failing to recognize and trust God as our supply for everything we need is failing to give Him the honor, thanks, and praise He deserves.

I’ve fallen down a few times in this area, but by this time I’ve had a great deal of experience of God’s faithful supply. That’s not to say I don’t get anxious occasionally, or that I don’t wish for better cash flow at times. However, I’ve discovered that God meets needs I didn’t know I had, and that things I think I need often really aren’t necessary, and sometimes just get in the way! I have never been in a high income bracket, but I’ve never gone naked or hungry from lack of resources. As a pastor, it’s not unusual to find that someone who is anxious actually has more resources than someone who isn’t! God showed Cathy and me years ago, during a period of unemployment, that whereas we thought we needed money, what we really needed was the things we would purchase with that money, and that He had all sorts of ways of providing those for us. Recognizing that God is our supply is unquestionably the way to peace, satisfaction and joy.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness over the years. Help me be faithful in my trusting obedience. Help me impart faith to those around me, so that they may be liberated from the anxiety that is so crippling. Help me be a good steward of all You provide, neither being wasteful nor miserly, so that I may be an open channel for You to meet others’ needs through me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!