The God Who Provides: Living Without Worry

You’ve got to admit, Jesus is something else. I mean, think about it – time and time again, the man found himself in situations where there just wasn’t enough. Not enough food. Not enough money. Not enough resources. And yet, somehow, every time, everything worked out. It’s almost like he knew something the rest of us don’t.

 

Take Mark 14:12-16. It’s the start of Passover, a big deal for any Jewish family, and his disciples, ever practical, ever worried, come to him with a question: “Where do you want us to prepare for the meal?” Now, here’s the thing, Jesus didn’t own property in this city. He doesn’t have an Airbnb reservation. There doesn’t appear to be any friend lining him up with a guest room. Does he panic? Not at all. Instead, he gives them an almost laughably specific set of instructions:

 

“Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

 

And what happens? Exactly what he said. The disciples walk into town, spot the man with the jar, follow him, and there it is, the room, furnished and waiting.

 

This isn’t just a one-off. This is just how Jesus operates. When he needs something, it’s there. Not because he’s lucky or clever, but because he trusts his Father to provide.

Remember the feeding of the five thousand? (Or the four thousand – Jesus doesn’t just do miracles once.) Here’s a massive crowd that’s very hungry and what does he have? A handful of loaves and a few fish. Not even close to enough. Does he send everyone home hungry? Nope. He gives thanks, breaks the bread, and suddenly, it’s more than enough. Leftovers, even.

Or how about the time he needed a colt to ride into Jerusalem? He didn’t own one, and there was no rental place around. So he told his disciples to head into a village, where they’d find a colt tied up. “Untie it and bring it here,” he said. “If anyone asks, tell them, ‘The Lord needs it.’” And sure enough, it was there, just as he said. Let’s not forget the temple tax. Jesus’ wallet must’ve been empty, so when it was time to pay up, he sent Peter to go fishing. The first fish Peter caught? It had a coin in its mouth, enough to cover the tax for both of them.

 

These aren’t just random stories. They point to a pattern. Every time there’s a need, Jesus shows us that God provides. It doesn’t matter if it’s food, money, transportation, or a room for Passover – God’s provision is always on time, always enough. And, Jesus didn’t mean to keep this all to himself. He meant it for us. When he says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear,” he’s not offering empty platitudes. He’s pointing to a reality he lived every single day. He trusted his Father completely and not once did he go without what he needed.

 

Jesus wasn’t just showing us how God provides. He was also showing us what true trust in God looks like. Consider the widow who gave everything she had at the temple (Mark 12:41-44). There she was, a woman with practically nothing, dropping two tiny coins into the offering. The rich around her gave from their abundance, but this widow, she gave everything. It wasn’t much by worldly standards. But Jesus called his disciples over to point her out, because her offering was more valuable than all the rest combined. She gave with no backup plan, no security net. She trusted God completely, with nothing but faith and a few pennies. Then there’s the woman with the perfume (Mark 14:3-9). She didn’t hold back. The perfume was worth a year’s wages, something many would consider far too precious to waste. But she poured it all out on Jesus without hesitation, without regret. These women, one in her poverty, one out of her wealth, trusted Jesus completely. They didn’t hold back. They weren’t worried about tomorrow. They were living out Jesus’ command to not worry. God would provide.

 

The real question isn’t whether God can provide. It’s whether we trust Him to do it. And let’s be honest, that’s hard. We like control. We like plans and backup plans. But Jesus is inviting us into something better. He’s inviting us into a life where we rely on him completely, knowing he’s got us covered. The disciples learned this firsthand. They saw the loaves multiply, the fish deliver coins, the colt waiting by the roadside, and the room ready for Passover. If we’re paying attention, we’ll see it too.

This builds our faith, our trust in him. It makes living a life where Christ is our all possible. Because it’s not based off blind faith. It’s about knowing that he provides. It’s about looking at the evidence, seeing his track record, and realizing he’s always provided enough for his people to accomplish his will. So when he says, “Don’t worry,” he means it. Not because life will be easy or problems will vanish. But because he’s the God who provides. Always has been, always will be. The question is, are we ready to trust him? Because if we are, there’s no limit to what he can do.