God Wants a Personal Relationship With Us
Who among us hasn’t faced financial worry at some point in their life? I know I have.
For years, I prayed to win the lottery or receive a surprise windfall so I would never have to worry about money again, but those prayers were never answered in the way I imagined.
I guess I wasn’t surprised considering I never actually bought a lottery ticket.
Don’t get me wrong. I was never without a roof over my head or couldn’t pay my bills, but I felt like I didn’t have enough — enough to do the things I dreamed of doing or enough to give generously to my Church or the causes that were close to my heart.
I found myself confused. Why would God give me “just enough for now” instead of enough for a lifetime?
As I searched the Scripture for answers, I spent time in the book of Matthew, where Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. In Matthew 6:11 He says, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Not a lifetime supply - just today’s portion.
Like Manna From Heaven
It reminded me of the Israelites in the wilderness. For forty years, God provided them with daily manna from Heaven. He instructed them to collect only what they needed for that one day. Those who gathered more than their daily portion found it spoiled by morning. So, each day, they had to go out again — trusting that God would provide what they needed, exactly when they needed it.
But why? If He gave us what we were asking for to last our lifetime, not just a day, wouldn’t we be less of a burden to Him and not have to come to Him so frequently with the same request?
Then it hit me: this was exactly why. If we felt we no longer had a “need,” would we also feel we no longer needed Him? Would we drift away from Him thinking we had everything under control on our own? This isn’t what God wants: He wants us to come to Him regularly. He wants a relationship, not distance.
Agur understood this when he prayed to God in Proverbs 30:8-9: “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is this Lord?”
God invites us into daily dependence, not because He wants to withhold blessings from us, but because He wants a close relationship with us. Like relationships on earth, the more time we spend with someone the stronger the relationship becomes. God wants this too. The more time we spend in prayer talking to Him or reading His Word, the deeper our relationship with Him becomes.
We can’t live off of yesterday’s prayers. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up your cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
God promises to meet our needs in His perfect timing — in His perfect way. He assures us that He will provide for us. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus explained; “Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in a barn, and yet the Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?”
So be assured, we do have enough- because we have Him.
And He is always enough!
Your sister in Christ,
~Mary Beth Leopold