“The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.” (Deuteronomy 2:7 NIV)
The truth is, if you are following God, you don’t lack anything. In today’s scripture, the Israelite’s have been wandering around the desert for 40 years. Their wandering is coming to an end, God is reminding them, in all of that time, they lacked nothing. These people didn’t have homes, they slept in tents. Their food was bread, literally dropped from heaven on a daily basis. The Israelite’s complained there was no meat, so God provided quails for them to eat (Exodus 16 NIV). They lacked nothing, they had clothes on their back, food in their stomachs, and a place to sleep at night. When you follow God, you lack nothing.
When you follow God, you lack nothing.
The problem isn’t that we lack something, the problem is what we think we need. We think we need electricity, running water, and a solid roof over our head to live. But according to God, we don’t. All of those things are luxuries that God has provided for us, but they aren’t necessities. They are things to thank God for every day. After going on a mission trip to El Salvador and visiting the home of a single mother, I’ve not taken those things for granted.
Her name was Marisol, she had two children. They lived in a small, adobe home with her parents and grandparents. All of them living in very cramped quarters. A large cistern sat next to the house, filled with water that was used for everything. The water was not clean, dysentery is one of the deadliest diseases in third world countries, especially for children. They had the luxury of an outhouse, which I had the privilege to use. That experience is one I will never forget. I was there for a few hours, this was their everyday life.
Beside their small abode, there was a large open room. This is where they meet for church every week. This is where they sang to us songs of joy to the Lord for the life He had given them. This is where they praised Him for our support of them. This is where I saw His light shine brightly in their lives. They lacked nothing, they were grateful for what they had.
We can learn from these Christ following El Salvadorians. Like them, we can focus on what we do have, not on what we don’t have. We can follow Jesus, no matter where He takes us, being thankful for His provision. They show us that when we follow God, we truly lack nothing.
Question of the Day:
What can you thank God for today?
Further Reading:Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29 NIV, Luke 6:12-38 NIV, Psalm 67:1-7 NIV, Proverbs 11:27 NIV
