I can fix you some cornbread and sweetmilk right now if you’d like.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Good Old Boys)
“Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.”
–Matthew 5:6 (CEB)
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“The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.”
–Proverbs 10:3 (NKJV)
“The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.”
–Proverbs 10:3 (NLT)
Perhaps you remember studying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. God created within man certain physical and emotional needs. We need food, drink, shelter, and clothing. We need meaningful employment, companionship, security, and hope for the future. (Beasley) Man also has a deep need for God. There is a void that longs to be filled and so often man doesn’t look properly or not at all. However, we must remember that God cares for the temporal as well as the spiritual. The wicked crave to have their needs met with material means, false religions, drugs, sex, alcohol and they come away empty. Without God their deepest need cannot be satisfied. Ralph Wardlaw says, “The substance of the wicked pertains not to the soul.”
As Christians we do not need to fret over required needs, yet so often we do. We forget that the God we serve is a loving, caring, and generous Father. There is a verse in Numbers that I really like. The people had been complaining and whining about the food. There is a great deal in Numbers 11, but I want to draw your attention to verse 23: “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Has the LORD’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.'” (NKJV) Do we believe God’s promises or not? Simple as that.
Part of our problem is that we join the world and we crave things. We want! The wants become dominant over the needs. We don’t ever seem to be satisfied or content with our lot in life. Paul reminds us, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Timothy 6:6-7, NKJV) God will supply all our need, and that is singular for what is our deepest need? Jesus! But He will go further and take care of His children, for they are precious in His sight. The NKJV Study Bible states, “If godliness (our desire to see God’s character reproduced in us) and contentment (our acceptance of God’s will in our lives) depend on our environment or circumstances, both will always be unstable.” Change the environment, the humanist educator clamor and the people will change. No, a resounding no! The heart must change, or the new environment will be as polluted as the old one was.
We cannot presume to be given our daily bread if we neglect to do all within our power to earn it. Henry Beecher reminds us, “God’s promises were never made to ferry our laziness.” God will do His part, but we do a great disservice if we forget that God put within man to take care of his own. “When ordinary means will not meet their need, He will employ special means to do so.” (J.L. Flores) Think of the provision brought by the ravens to Elijah; think of the never-ending oil in the home of the widow. Know this, that riches and poverty are comparative and relative terms.
God knows what we need whether temporal or spiritual. Trust in Him to provide and meet those needs. Let the Holy Spirit work within for He knows what we truly need; actually much better than we do. Be content with what He has given you and you will find that more than enough will be given. A theologian translates the first part of the verse as, “Jehovah will not starve the righteous appetite.” Hmmm, perhaps we should change or at least look at our appetite.