The fact that God provides for His creation is a recurring theme in Scripture. We know this…we repeat this…we rest secure in this. Hallelujah, God provides!
However, it seems that we fail to emphasize properly the fact that God has expectations of us and the way we live once we have received and enjoy His provision.
For example, Luke tells us about a time that 10 lepers begged Jesus for mercy (they desperately desired to be healed). In His compassion, He did indeed heal them. All ten of them were cleansed and made whole. Sadly, only one man returned to Jesus to express his thanks. Jesus responded to the situation by asking these rhetorical questions: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:12-17) The Lord provided healing. The Lord expected gratitude.
This same scenario is repeated throughout Scripture.
God provides our necessities—Psalm 65:9-10 (cf. Matt. 6:19-34).
· He expects worship and praise.
· “Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.” (Ps. 65:1)
God provides escape from temptations—1 Corinthians 10:13.
· He expects us to learn from the examples of the past…to refuse to fall into the same traps and to take advantage of the alternatives to sin that He bestows.
· “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these tings happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor. 10:6-12)
Best of all—God provided a Lamb for our salvation—John 1:29; Gen. 22:1-8, 13-14; 1 Peter 1:19.
· He expects us to respond with faithful obedience.
· Romans 11:35-:12:1; 1 Peter 1:13-17
God has provided all that we need. Now He expects us to respond.
He has shown us sacrificial love…let us respond with the same!
