Peace in the Waiting: Trusting God to Provide When You Can’t See How
Do you ever worry that God won’t provide what you need? Maybe you’re waiting for a new job, an extra client or two, money for rent, food for your family, or you fill in the blank. Perhaps you’ve been waiting a long time, and the anxious thoughts are beginning to swirl–you’re wondering if God will ever come through.
Friend, I can assure you that God sees you and He cares about what you need.
In Matthew 15, we read about how a multitude of people gathered on a hillside to experience Jesus’ healing and teaching. This wasn’t your ordinary, hour-long church service where the pastor’s sermon lasted forty minutes and you were home on time for lunch–this was a three-day healing revival. In those three days, the congregation brought their loved ones before Jesus so he could heal them. And while they watched and waited, they ate every morsel of food packed in their lunch bags. Yet, they were so hungry for Jesus’s words and healing that they refused to leave.
Imagine physically sitting at Jesus’ feet, witnessing him heal all those people, and soaking in His every word. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to leave, either.
Yet, Jesus’s heart went out to the people.
“Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way” (Matthew 15:32, NLT).
Jesus had spiritually nourished the people, and now it was time to provide for them physically.
Yet, the disciples had no idea where to find food for the massive crowd before them in the wilderness. So, Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”
I imagine the disciples had a lightbulb moment remembering that Jesus used bread the last time, when He fed the five-thousand (See Matthew 14:13-21) because they answered, “Well, we have seven loaves and a handful of fish.”
Jesus instructed the people to sit down and thanked God for the food. Handing the loaves and fish to the disciples, he instructed them to distribute the food to the crowd. The disciples did as they were told, and the food kept multiplying. So much food was produced that even after everyone was full, seven large baskets of leftovers remained.
Jesus filled the people’s spiritual tank and healed their sick–yet only after the crowd was physically nourished did Jesus send them home with satisfied bellies and full hearts.
Oh, my friend, Jesus provides for us in the same way. He satisfies our hungry hearts and turns our little into much. He knows our every need, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Yet, it’s easy to forget His goodness and His desire to provide for our needs–not necessarily our every want, although he cares about those–but our every need.
In Matthew 6, Jesus instructs another crowd not to worry about money, food, clothing, or everyday life.
“Don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Faither already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:31-34, NLT).
Are we focusing on the trouble or the solution? Are we fretting about tomorrow or trusting God for today?
God assures us in His word that He will always care for us, even when we don’t see it. Even if it feels like we’ve been waiting a long time for provision, we can be assured that God will provide in His time and in His way. We need only focus on Jesus; the One who cares for our every need.
Journal Prompts
To Help You Find Peace While You Wait on God’s Provision
Read Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 15:29-39, and Matthew 6:31-34.
1. What do I need from God right now, physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
Reflect on your current needs. Be honest with the Lord about where you’re feeling empty or anxious. Reflect on how He’s provided in the past?
2. In what areas of my life am I struggling to trust that God will provide?
In what areas of your life is worry replacing peace. Ask God to help you release those fears and replace them with trust in His character.
3. How does remembering Jesus’s compassion in Matthew 15:32 impact how I wait for provision today?
Jesus saw the needs of the crowd and acted. Write about how His care for the people then reminds you that He sees and cares for you now.
4. What “loaves and fish” do I currently have that I need to surrender to Jesus?
Sometimes God multiplies what we already have. What small offering (time, resources, obedience) can you place in His hands today?
5. What does “Seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) look like in my life right now?
Journal about how focusing on God’s Kingdom first might bring peace to your waiting, rather than fixating on the outcome you’re hoping for.
6. When have I experienced God providing in an unexpected way?
Write about a past moment of provision that surprised you. Let this memory anchor your faith while you wait.
7. What would change in my heart and mind if I truly believed God already knows all my needs? (Matthew 6:32)
Consider what peace would replace your anxiety if you fully embraced this truth. Ask God to help you rest in it.
8. What is today’s trouble that I need to bring to Jesus? (Matthew 6:34)
Instead of worrying about the future, name today’s challenge and invite God’s presence into it. What does it look like to trust Him today?
“If God was faithful to you yesterday, you have reason to trust Him for tomorrow.”
– Woodrow Kroll, Author and Bible teacher
Memory Verse
“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34, CSB)
