2 Corinthians 9:8–10 Matthew 6:25–34
God's Gracious Provision
(Hold up a piece of bread)
What do you think this is? (Bread)
And where does bread come from? (Uncle Albert, the bakery…etc.)
But before it gets to the bakery, where do the ingredients come from?
All this reminds us of something important about God: God provides. That is the message running through both of our Bible readings today.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians: “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
And then Jesus says: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”
Now, that sounds wonderful, but there is an awful lot in life that makes us worry, isn’t there?
For many of us living here in the Netherlands, life is remarkably secure compared with parts of the world where parents genuinely do not know where their children's next meal will come from. We have food in our shops, clean water, homes, schools, and hospitals. But that does not mean that life is always easy.
Financial markets rise and fall. Politicians argue and sometimes seem unable to agree. People disagree with one another, even people sitting in the same church.
There are wars in different parts of the world. There are viruses, colds, flu and tummy bugs.
People worry about their jobs, their finances and what the future may bring.
And children have their own worries. “Will they like me at school?” “Who will be my friend?” “What happens if everyone else thinks something is right, but I believe it is wrong?” “What if I stand up for what I believe and people laugh at me?”
Adults and children may worry about different things, but underneath it all is the same question: “What is going to happen to me?” And Jesus does not pretend that these things are not real.
Notice what he does not say. He does not say, “Nothing bad will ever happen to you.” He does not say, “Christians will never get sick, lose a job, have problems or experience suffering.”
Instead, he says, “Do not worry about your life.”
Why can Jesus say that?
Because our security/safety does not ultimately depend upon having a life in which everything goes according to plan. Our security/safety depends upon who God is.
Jesus says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
He knows. Before we explain it. Before we ask. Before we even find the words. He knows.
Then Jesus gives his disciples a wonderful picture. He tells them to look at the birds. The birds do not build enormous barns and warehouses to store enough food for the next fifty years.
And then Jesus says, “Look at the flowers.” They do not worry about how they will look tomorrow. And yet God cares for them.
But then comes the astonishing part: “Are you not much more valuable than they?”
In other words, Jesus is saying: “If your heavenly Father cares for birds and flowers, how much more does he care for you?”
That is especially important when we are afraid, because when we are frightened, our attention tends to become fixed upon the problem.
We look at our bank account(s). We look at the news. We look at the doctor's report. We look at the school playground. We look at what others have that we don’t. We look at everything that might go wrong.
And Jesus says, in effect: Look somewhere else.
Look at the birds. Look at the flowers. Look at the God who made them. And most of all, look at Jesus.
Because Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Nothing is outside his authority. Even the forces of darkness are subject to him. Life and death are in his hands.
And this great and almighty God does not stand far away from us because he loves us.
How do we know? We know because he was willing to die for us. The greatest proof of God's love is not that everything in our lives goes smoothly. The greatest proof of God's love is the cross. Jesus was willing to give himself in our place.
That is how much you matter to him. That is how valuable you are to him.
So when we say, “God provides,” we do not mean that God promises us a life without trouble. We mean something much deeper.
We mean that God will never stop being our God. His grace will always be sufficient. His presence will never ever leave us. His purposes and his plan will never ever fail.
And even when we cannot understand what he is doing, we can trust him because as Paul says, God is able to give us what we need “in all things at all times.”
Sometimes what we need is food. Sometimes it is money. Sometimes it is healing. Sometimes it is courage. Sometimes it is wisdom. Sometimes it is the strength simply to get through one more day.
And sometimes God's provision comes through other people…a friend, a family member, someone in the church, someone who notices that we are struggling and quietly puts out a hand. That is part of what Paul means when he talks about sowing and reaping.
God gives us what we need, and then he invites us to become part of his provision for others. He gives us bread and teaches us to share it. He gives us grace and teaches us to be gracious. He comforts us and then uses us to comfort someone else.
So what should we do when the future frightens us?
Jesus gives us the answer: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”
In other words: Always put God first. Always keep your eyes on Jesus.
Don't let the uncertainty become bigger than God. Don't let tomorrow become bigger than Jesus. Don't let fear become bigger than faith.
One of the most comforting sayings associated with the late Corrie ten Boom is this: “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”
I love that picture because sometimes life feels like a train entering a tunnel.
A moment ago we could see the way ahead and then suddenly everything goes dark. We cannot see what is coming next, but the darkness does not mean the train has stopped or that the driver has lost control, and it certainly does not mean that we should jump off.
No, we must trust the one who knows the way through.
And that is what faith means. Not knowing everything. Not seeing everything. Not understanding everything. But knowing the One who does.
So when you are worried about school…focus on Jesus.
When you are worried about work…focus on Jesus.
When money is uncertain…focus on Jesus.
When people disagree or are mean to you…focus on Jesus.
When sickness comes…focus on Jesus.
When you cannot see any future at all…put your hand in the hand of the Good Shepherd and follow where he leads, because we may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow.
And the God who holds tomorrow is the God who gave his Son for us. He knows what we need. He knows what we fear. He knows where we are going. And he will give us the grace we need, one day at a time.
So let us take our eyes away from all the uncertainty around us and fix them firmly upon our almighty Lord and Saviour, because God is our gracious provider and we can trust him.
We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow.
Shall we pray?
© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2026
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