This last week I found myself meditating on how much of a perfect provider God is. We all know the verses. Two that come to mind are at the end of Philippians when Paul says God will supply all of our needs. Then there’s the sermon on the mount where Jesus tells us to look at the birds and the flowers, and recognize how the Father will take care of us just as he takes care of them. 

I have always thought of God being a provider in terms of physical needs. Money, food, and shelter in particular. And for that I am so grateful. Every single meal is a gift from him. Every single bite of the California burrito I had last night was from the grace of God. (By the way, if you don’t know what a California burrito is, look it up. It’s yummy. We just moved to a new house and there’s this place across the street that makes them and they even have a drive-thru. God is good.) 

I’m so very grateful for God meeting my physical needs–but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized he meets so many more needs than just these. I’ve been reflecting on how God has met my relational needs; how he has provided me with a wife and a child that bless my heart. He’s gifted me with friends that bring me joy, camaraderie, and conviction. 

And as I continued in that thought, I realized how God has provided me with the emotional capacity to have good relationships. As you may or may not know, relationships take work. There’s a laboring and a sacrifice for friendships to work well. It takes time and commitment. And sometimes I feel like I’m lacking in that department. But then I remember that God provides the emotional and relational strength I need as well. Yes, God provides for these kinds of needs as well. It’s truly much more than money and food. 

As a new father, with a child for the first time, I find myself short on sleep, which brings me to another area I feel God providing for me–that somehow, someway, I still have the energy I need the next day after only sleeping four hours. Or, on the day that I should be cleaning the house but I’m tired and take a nap instead, God provides my wife with some patience when she gets home from work! 

He provides just what we need, just when we need it, and just who we need too. He’s a perfect provider and he will spend a lifetime–actually, an eternity–proving this to us.