Day 10: Rest in His Sufficiency

30 Days of Rest - July '20

Dearest,

I used to be quite close-fisted, both in giving to God and human beings. I would be reluctant to give N1000 as offering or to someone in need because I worried that my funds would be depleted and that I would subsequently lack. And that if my allowance was exhausted before month-end, I’d be broke with no other source of income. I didn’t think of God as my Source, as the One who supplies my needs.

My attitude changed when the Holy Spirit taught me about God’s sufficiency and goodness.

God is self-sufficient: He is sufficient in Himself, possesses no need or deficiency, and lacks nothing. He created the heavens and earth and all that is in them, thus all things belong to Him. He is a bottomless treasure trove of riches. Because He is sufficient in Himself, He is sufficient for us: He has all that we need and more. He is able to sustain all that He created, and supply all our needs out of His infinite and immeasurable riches. Scripture says:

Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
    Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. - Job 41:11

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein, - Psalm 24:1

For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for the world and its fullness are mine - Psalm 50:10-12

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. - Haggai 2:8

God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things - Acts 17:24-25

His sufficiency goes hand in hand with His goodness. It is one thing to have and another thing to give. God does not just have all we need, His goodness disposes Him to give us all we need. He bestows blessings and benefits upon us, both spiritual and temporal, unconditionally and liberally.

The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. - Psalm 23:1

Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation!  - Psalm 68:19

The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing - Psalm 145:15-16

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! - Matthew 7:11

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change - James 1:17

Although God’s riches and blessings upon us must first be understood in a spiritual sense (I addressed this in a previous letter), He is also concerned with our physical and material well-being. This is why Jesus taught us not to worry about our physical and material needs/wants, assuring us that our Father who sustains the birds of the air, and the flowers of the fields, in His sufficiency and goodness, will also sustain us who are of more value than they (Matthew 6:25-30) He says:

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” - v. 31-32

The term ‘Gentiles’ refers to unsaved, carnally minded people, with no knowledge of God and His ways. They are caught in a rat-race of survival, because they know nothing of God's sufficiency and goodness. As a result, they do not depend on Him for their well-being, but struggle and toil to make money and satisfy their needs. But we are different because we are saved—we are in fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and we truly know Him as a Heavenly Father, who is sufficient for us and good to us, in whom we can trust to satisfy our needs and take care of us.

One of my favourite stories that testify of God’s sufficiency is that of the Israelites. For forty years as they wandered through the wilderness, God provided food and drink. Not only that, we are told that their garments did not wear out and their feet did not swell (Deut. 8:4).

The Lord is calling us to rest in His sufficiency and goodness. See him as your Source, your Sufficiency. Stop relying on your self, the salary from your job, your parents or sponsors as the source of your sufficiency. Stop fretting about how much you have left in your account, or where your next meal will come from. He has all that you need and He will richly provide your needs. Look to Him for your sustenance. He cares deeply for you and will take care of you.

The Bible assures us thus:

The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. - Psalm 34:10

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:19

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. - 2 Corinthians 9:8

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy - 1 Timothy 6:17

We're in difficult times, and our economy is failing. Some of us may have lost our jobs, opportunities or money. God is able to do exceedingly far above all that you can ask or think - He is able to provide you with a new well-paying job, with money, with new opportunities, and so much more. He is not only able, He is willing, because He loves you and cares for you. He wants you to cast all your material and financial cares on Him so that you can enjoy His rest.

The knowledge of God’s sufficiency and goodness is not only for times of need and crisis. Even in times of financial buoyancy and material comfort, the Lord wants us to acknowledge Him as our Sufficiency. All that you have, you received from Him. He benevolently blessed you with those talents, those abilities, that job, that income, that car, that house. When you see Him as your Source in good times, you’ll see Him as your Source in difficult times too. Moses told the Israelites not to think they achieved material prosperity by their own hard work but that:

…you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day (Deut. 8:18)

Don’t limit God. He is able to supply ALL that you need, and He is willing to, out of his goodness and love. Put your faith in His sufficiency. Trust that He will bless you and take care of you, regardless of the prevailing economic condition or your financial situation. Depend on Him for every single thing you need in life.

Enjoy rest in Jesus!

P.S: If you are anything like the picture I painted in the first paragraph, I'm encouraging (& spurring) you to do something practical - do an act of giving in faith, even if you don't have much. Especially if you don't have much. Give to a person or project or the Church; and trust God for a particular need in prayer. It's not a seed or bribe for God to bless you. It's a radical act of acknowledging that your Heavenly Father is your inexhaustible Source & Supply, therefore you can never lack.

With love from,

Dunnie.