How is God supposed to provide?

Question

Even Christian charity organizations ask for donations from people, so if God provides I wouldn't think they'd need donations from people who earned those donated funds through their own efforts.

When people say "God provides" are they merely shifting their thanks away from the ones truly responsible, or does God in fact provide? And if so, how?

Answer 1

The famous topic of how God provides I recall was answered like this funny like:



A farmer is in Iowa during a flood. The river is overflowing. Water is surrounding the farmer’s home up to his front porch. As he is standing there, a boat comes up. The man in the boat says, “Jump in, and I’ll take you to safety.”

The farmer crosses his arms and says stubbornly, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.” The boat goes away. The water rises to the second story. Another boat comes up. The man says to the farmer, who is now at the second floor window, “Hurry, jump in. I’ll save you.”

The farmer again says, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.”

The boat goes away. Now the water is inching over the roof. As the farmer stands on the roof, a helicopter comes over, and drops a ladder. The pilot yells down to the farmer, “I’ll save you. Climb the ladder.”

The farmer yells back, “Oh no thanks, I put my trust in God.”

The helicopter goes away. The water continues to rise and sweeps the farmer off the roof into the swiftly moving water. Unfortunately, he drowns.

The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says, “What are you doing here?”

The farmer says, “I put my trust in you, and you let me down.”

God says, “What do you mean, let you down? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!”



The joke is funny but slightly true. I would ask you to investigate in the bible just how God provided for people. That is why the old testament is so vital, it shows so many examples of how God has provided for people. Even just follow the story of Ruth, or Ester. These are very short and show multiple ways how God answers peoples prayers. However in each of these examples people have to put faith in God that he will provide for them the things they need. Each time God comes through in a different way. So it's hard to say one specific way God provides.



In my own life God has provided through means of me seeking out the answers (as you eluded to), he has provided through means beyond my control or shaping, and he has provided miraculously. Each situation has been different and unique. Each one has been personal to me and shows me he is real. For example when I came was deciding to seek Christ I prayed and wrote down 5 pages of prayers on line paper that I could in no way influence or control. Then I would mark an F next to each one fulfilled. Some started happening right away and others took a while, but every single line back and front has an F next to it now. This is one example in a daily walk where many many things have been provided for me each day, whether big or small.

Answer 2

Ordinarily, God works through means. That is, for example, if a farmer wants a harvest, he can't expect God to "provide" without planting seeds. As far as "charity" is concerned, God truly does provide, because He is the One Who gives the ability to become wealthy, Deuteronomy 8:11-17.

Answer 3

God controls all human events, so he can do anything he wants. Look at the animals, God provides food for them. Why do you have so little faith, God can say one word it will automatically happen. It is when you are desperate, suffering, praying to God for help, that is when God helps God's elects. When everything fails, God is the only one that can help.



If you are God's elect, God has a purpose for your life which is to obey him and preach the gospel, feed God's elects by making hard core sermons that most pastors won't preach and more.

Answer 4

Genesis 22

7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?#

lamb: or, kid

8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.



John 3

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.





Acts 14

15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Answer 5

God indeed provides, but He wants us to do our part. We were once hungry and close to homeless and a neighbor told us God would provide. Another neighbor opened her cupboards to give us needed food. You could say God provided through the neighbor, but our neighbor sure did her part!

Answer 6

God is allowed to provide through the gifts of His people. it allows them to grow into better people. He is also allowed to provide from His own hand directly.

Answer 7

God provides whenever and however He wants. He's not "supposed to". He just does, whenever and however He wants. God Bless you.

Answer 8

“Stop Being Anxious”

4 Jesus was in Galilee, speaking to a large crowd of people from many places. (Matthew 4:25) Few if any of those people were wealthy. Likely, most were poor. Yet, Jesus urged them to give priority, not to the gaining of material wealth, but to the storing up of something far more valuable—spiritual treasure. (Matthew 6:19-21, 24) He said: “Stop being anxious about your souls as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing?”—Matthew 6:25.

5 To many of those listening, Jesus’ words might have sounded impractical. They knew that if they did not work hard, their families would suffer. However, Jesus reminded them about the birds. Birds live from one day to the next, yet Jehovah cares for them. Jesus also pointed to the way Jehovah provides for wildflowers, the beauty of which surpasses that of Solomon in all his glory. If Jehovah cares for birds and flowers, how much more so will he care for us? (Matthew 6:26-30) As Jesus said, our lives (souls) and bodies are far more important than the food we buy to sustain our lives and the clothing we obtain to cover our bodies. If we devote all our efforts merely to feed and cover ourselves, with nothing substantial left for serving Jehovah, we miss the very purpose of living.—Ecclesiastes 12:13.

A Balanced Viewpoint

6 Of course, Jesus did not encourage his listeners to stop working and wait for God somehow to provide for their families. Even the birds have to search for food for themselves and their young. Thus, Christians had to work if they wanted to eat. They had to care for family responsibilities. Christian servants and slaves had to work diligently for their masters. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Peter 2:18) The apostle Paul often worked as a tentmaker to support himself. (Acts 18:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:9) Still, those Christians did not look to secular work for security. They trusted in Jehovah. As a result, they enjoyed an inner peace unknown to others. The psalmist said: “Those trusting in Jehovah are like Mount Zion, which cannot be made to totter, but dwells even to time indefinite.”—Psalm 125:1.

7 Anyone who does not trust firmly in Jehovah might think differently. The majority of humans view material wealth as a major key to security. Hence, parents have encouraged their offspring to invest much of their young adulthood in higher education, hoping that it will prepare them for well-paying careers. Sadly, some Christian families have found the cost of such an investment to be very high, as their children have lost their spiritual focus and turned to pursuing materialistic goals.

8 Hence, wise Christians realize that Jesus’ counsel applies as much today as it did in the first century, and they try to keep a balance. Even if they have to spend long hours in secular work in order to care for Scriptural responsibilities, they never allow the need to earn money to blind them to the more important spiritual matters.—Ecclesiastes 7:12.