Three Hots and a Cot

In the world of personal finance there are two kinds of broke.  The first kind of broke is where you've go nothing.  Zero. Zilch. Notta.  When you have no money at all, your life becomes very focused.  It is all about getting through the day.  Food and shelter become the top priority and everything else is secondary.  But when most people describe themselves as broke, they don't mean that they have nothing.  Just that the money that they have is committed elsewhere and they would like to spend some more.

Of course there is more to life than just getting by.  Inmates in prison get three hots and a cot so they say, but most of us wouldn't describe that as living the dream.  Maybe we should be content with only our basic needs being met, but most of us want more.  We want it all.  We want to live the good life and set up residence on easy street.  So there needs to be some balance in all of it.  We need some balance between being content with what we have and striving to do better.

The balance between these is extremes really describes the nature of God's provision.  On the one hand God provision is enough for today.  The Israelites wandering in the desert would get enough manna for the day.  Elijah sitting by the stream would get daily food from the crows and daily bread from the widow.  The people may have preferred to get great stores so that they could see it all.  Daily provision teaches us to rely on God daily.  When left to our own devices, we can wander off and lose our focus.

Then sometimes God goes all out with the extravagant provision.  The overwhelming miracle that blows us away and makes us say, "Wow.  That was God,"

Watch this clip from Pastor Lowell.

We should be content with daily provision, but for most of us the routine is not enough.  So from time to time, God is there with his extravagant blessings to see us through.