When we look at what is happening around us, we are overcome with worry. Yet God is still on his throne, and He has all of His riches and love. By fixing our eyes on Him, we know His provision will be there soon, even in relationships!
The famine was rampant in Egypt and surrounding areas. But Joseph had already received instruction from God to get through these difficult times. While the people were hungry, Joseph was in the palace. And he was not the only one to see his situation improve while that of the rest of society declined. His father Jacob was invited to come and live in the most fertile lands in all of Egypt, and his needs were met until the end of his life. All this was during the greatest famine in the region. Stories like this multiply in the Bible. During another famine, a widow never lacked flour and oil to support herself. She had put God first, serving the prophet Elijah, and God took care of her. God has repeatedly promised to care for those who love Him (1 Kings 17:13-14).
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you” (Psalm 91:7 NKJV)
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19 NKJV)
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV)
But what do all the people who have received these promises from God have in common? They were all obedient to the voice of God. They followed the direction God gave them, and it was in their submission that they received the provision. The recipe has never been very complicated. To have a destiny different from the world around us, to have a quality of life that does not depend on the global economy or our social status, we must be different from the world. We cannot live like the world and have a different outcome than the world. God asks us to give Him control of our lives, to do what He asks of us, and to abstain from what He considers sin, and our needs will be met.
It will not be easy to act differently from the world. It will require great sacrifice on our part (Romans 12:2). “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:17 NKJV). And the way God meets our needs may not be exactly what we want. The Messiah God sent was not the one the Jews hoped for. They wanted a savior who would rescue them from the power of the Romans. God gave them a Savior who led them into a heavenly Kingdom.
God has promised to provide for His children, and He is no liar. But His way of meeting our needs will not necessarily be as we think. On the financial side, God can respond to one of our shortcomings by giving us a new job, by inspiring someone to give us an amount of money, or even, God can respond by removing from us the desire to obtain an object that we had coveted. God always provides, but not always the way we envisioned.
The same goes for our relational needs. In the 10 commandments, it is not written that we must all get married, so it’s not an order. If marriage were the ultimate goal of our lives, Jesus would have been married, and all the apostles would have taught on this priority first in the New Testament. Even though we all have relational needs, it is not necessarily marriage that will meet them. All the answers to our needs are found in God. Sometimes God will meet our needs by presenting us with a life partner. Sometimes He will provide for our needs for affection through our Christian community. Sometimes, it is He who will come to fill the relational void in our life. When God is our Shepherd, we are not lacking. Single people are no less fulfilled by God than married people. Singles are certainly not less loved by God. Singles are not second-rate children of God. They are his beloved children, blessed and equipped to do mighty work in the growth of the Kingdom of God.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Don’t worry. God always provides for the needs of His children.