The Provider

II Kings 4:42-44
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah*, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
43 "How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.'"
44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD. (NIV)
*A city in Palestine


Have you ever tried to cook a meal for 100 people? You make the menu and the shopping list. Now, it is time to do the shopping. You know, while unloading the groceries, you are going to make more then one trip. Once you have prepared all the food for 100 people, you definitely are not going to be able to carry everything in one trip. I can imagine this scene: a hundred men ready to eat and one guy comes walking up carrying some bread. This situation does not look good. I can hear the stomachs growling and the complaints rising. Elisha, being the host, did not fret one bit, but trusted in what the Lord had told him: “They will eat and have some left over.”

Now does this scene sound familiar? Jesus feed a crowd of five thousand men with five loaves and two fish (Mt. 14:17). Elisha’s miracle happened around 562 B.C. The Lord resolved the same situation 600 years later, but to an even greater extent! That tells me that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb 13:8) We can depend on the Lord! The Lord provided Manna from heaven for Israel and he ordered the ravens to feed Elijah (I Kings 17:4). How can the Lord provide for us? He can drop it right out of the sky. He can send it by another means. Or he can make it appear right before you. What amazes me the most is that the Lord is never late, He is never behind, nor is he ever absent-minded! He sees to it that the sun rises and falls everyday. While running the universe and supporting all life, he is concerned about a child of his who is hungry and takes the time to provide for him. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19 NIV)