Situations of dire need are opportunities to encounter God’s faithfulness and care. We rarely experience God’s care simply because we are so self-subsistent. This isn’t a bad thing, in fact, it is a blessing that we regularly have what we need and more. The problem is that our faith-muscle atrophies through lack of usage in everyday concerns. So, we should not be surprised if God gives us opportunities to trust him. An “opportunity to trust” is really a euphemism for a crisis or hardship. But we would do well to see our hardships in this way. These are times to exercise faith. God is far more concerned about the strength of our faith than he is about our comfort. So, again, we should not be surprised when he puts us in situations of dire need. Times of great need have also been the highlights in my relationship with God. We don’t get many opportunities to trust God, that is, for our immediate practical needs. The psalmists, however, regularly faced threats of invasion, famine, fatal disease, injustice and many other threats that we could barely imagine. God did not spare them from facing these threats so why should we think that God will spare us. We need God, but we rarely get to feel this need. If your situation of hardship reminds you of your need for God, then that hardship will benefit you in the long run. The place of need is the place of divine encounter.
Ask God to provide in your areas of need.
Read Psalm 70.
