Redefining God's Provision
"Praise the Lord, O my soul."
What a perfect way to begin Psalm 104, and what a perfect way to begin my day. After a month in Nicaragua of personally witnessing God's work and experiencing His love, these words expressed the emotion of my heart. I continued reading.
"O Lord, my God, you are very great."
Yes, Lord! You are so very great! My heart swelled with delight as memories flashed through my head of things that God did in Nicaragua while I was there. He proved over and over again how great He is.
"...He stretched out the heavens like a tent...He makes the clouds His chariots..."
I remembered laying on the roof of the mission one evening, just watching the glorious night sky. It was full of twinkling stars, which God stretched over us like a tent. We lay on our backs and watched the clouds pass over, which made the starry sky seem like it was moving and spinning around us.
"He makes springs pour water into the ravines."
Suddenly the image of San Andres popped into my head.
"It flows between the mountains and gives water to all the beasts of the field."
I pictured myself walking along the spring-fed stream in San Andres, where the people get their water. It winds in and out of the mountains and provides water for all the animals.
"The birds of the air nest by the waters. They sing among the branches."
I remembered walking through a field with wild colorful parrots flying all around and above me. They rested in the tree tops and sang their squawky songs.
I remembered watching the sun set over the Rio Coco. I remembered seeing the faces of the people as they watched the Jesus video to the light of the moon.
"How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom, you made them all...living things both large and small. These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time."
God is working in every corner of the world, even deep in the wilderness of Nicaragua. How many are His daily works and provisions for the people there. But most of all...
"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth."
God provides spiritually for His people, especially the ones along the Rio Coco. He has sent His church and His Spirit to give the people faith and hope and love. Psalm 111:9 says, "He provided redemption for His people." The people in San Andres don't know very much about the Bible or its stories, but they know enough about Jesus Christ enough to call on His name and be saved. What greater testimony of God's provision is there than that?
Psalm 104 walked me through the village of San Andres one more time. The Psalm is all about God's provision for the earth and its people, which is exactly what I learned when I went on the Rio Coco trip. I used to look at poverty and see a lack of God's provision. These kids don't have beds or shoes, so where are you God? But now, I have redefined poverty and provision based on what I saw in San Andres and the surrounding villages. When I looked at San Andres, I could not deny the poverty, but I also could not deny the beauty. Yes, you see big bellies and bare feet, but you also see the biggest smiles and brightest eyes. You see hope and joy and a richness of faith. I looked at the church, the families, and the children, and I saw their lives as evidence of God's grace. I didn't see a lack of God's provision, but an extent of it.
God's promise to provide doesn't mean a five-star hotel for everyone; it means that He will sustain life, send food at the proper time, and provide a richness of faith in the poorest of circumstances.
"I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord."
What a perfect way to begin Psalm 104, and what a perfect way to begin my day. After a month in Nicaragua of personally witnessing God's work and experiencing His love, these words expressed the emotion of my heart. I continued reading.
"O Lord, my God, you are very great."
Yes, Lord! You are so very great! My heart swelled with delight as memories flashed through my head of things that God did in Nicaragua while I was there. He proved over and over again how great He is.
"...He stretched out the heavens like a tent...He makes the clouds His chariots..."
I remembered laying on the roof of the mission one evening, just watching the glorious night sky. It was full of twinkling stars, which God stretched over us like a tent. We lay on our backs and watched the clouds pass over, which made the starry sky seem like it was moving and spinning around us.
"He makes springs pour water into the ravines."
Suddenly the image of San Andres popped into my head.
"It flows between the mountains and gives water to all the beasts of the field."
I pictured myself walking along the spring-fed stream in San Andres, where the people get their water. It winds in and out of the mountains and provides water for all the animals.
"The birds of the air nest by the waters. They sing among the branches."
I remembered walking through a field with wild colorful parrots flying all around and above me. They rested in the tree tops and sang their squawky songs.
"He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His work."
It rains almost every day of the rainy season in San Andres, and when it rains, it pours! Those waters are a source of life and revival. The vegetation is lush and green because of it. I will always remember playing in the rain and watching the children have the time of their lives playing soccer in the downpour. The rain does more than water the land, it also waters the people and their hearts. The earth and its people are satisfied by the fruit of the rain.
"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate - bringing forth food from the earth."
I saw herds of cattle grazing on the lush grass of the Rio Coco. Every farm animal you can imagine lives there, and they all feast upon the grass God grows for them. I saw tall fields of corn and thick grounds of cabbage along the banks of the river, providing fresh vegetables for the native people.
"The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down."
I remembered watching the sun set over the Rio Coco. I remembered seeing the faces of the people as they watched the Jesus video to the light of the moon.
"How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom, you made them all...living things both large and small. These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time."
God is working in every corner of the world, even deep in the wilderness of Nicaragua. How many are His daily works and provisions for the people there. But most of all...
"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth."
God provides spiritually for His people, especially the ones along the Rio Coco. He has sent His church and His Spirit to give the people faith and hope and love. Psalm 111:9 says, "He provided redemption for His people." The people in San Andres don't know very much about the Bible or its stories, but they know enough about Jesus Christ enough to call on His name and be saved. What greater testimony of God's provision is there than that?
 |
| The church meeting at San Andres |
Psalm 104 walked me through the village of San Andres one more time. The Psalm is all about God's provision for the earth and its people, which is exactly what I learned when I went on the Rio Coco trip. I used to look at poverty and see a lack of God's provision. These kids don't have beds or shoes, so where are you God? But now, I have redefined poverty and provision based on what I saw in San Andres and the surrounding villages. When I looked at San Andres, I could not deny the poverty, but I also could not deny the beauty. Yes, you see big bellies and bare feet, but you also see the biggest smiles and brightest eyes. You see hope and joy and a richness of faith. I looked at the church, the families, and the children, and I saw their lives as evidence of God's grace. I didn't see a lack of God's provision, but an extent of it.
God's promise to provide doesn't mean a five-star hotel for everyone; it means that He will sustain life, send food at the proper time, and provide a richness of faith in the poorest of circumstances.
To think that we got to be a part of that provision is humbling. God sent us to the Rio Coco communities with food, clothes, hygiene items, parasite medication, and water purification systems. He sent us with His love and encouragement for the body of believers there. Through us, He proved His provision. And when we aren't there, He still causes the sun to rise, the rain to water the land, and His love to sustain their hearts.
Psalm 104 ended with the most perfect conclusion:
"I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord."
Comments
Post a Comment