Does God promise to fulfill temporal needs?

[Emily25069]

I have a friend who is going through a very big rut right now in her spiritual life.

She has made the statement to me today that she has just made this profound realization that God never promised to fulfill our needs, or that our only need is salvation.

This doesnt sound right to me.

help!

 

[bapmom]

God promises to care for us in the sense of food, shelter, and clothing. God does not abandon His children, but neither does He then want His children to quit their jobs and just wait for Him to give them whatever they want.

Your friend needs to keep doing those things she knows are right to do.....God will provide as He sees fit.

Mt 6:25
¶ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Of course this means not to be worrying about these things. Im not sure where she was going with her statement to you, so I hope this helps.

 

[TexasSky]

Remember the lillies of the field. ....

God does promise to provide our needs.

Not necessarily our wants though, and like the old joke about the man that refused the car, the boat and the helicopter, sometimes He fulfills our need by providing the right work for us or providing a path to the solution.

 

[Emily25069]

well, this particular rut she is in, has been brought about by the recent hurricanes. She said that those people obviously didnt need water or food or their lives even.

It is extremely hard to explain to her that God does promise to fulfill our needs, but He doesnt at the same time.

 

[bapmom]

Emily,

God doesn't promise all those things to anyone but His children. The promises we are referring to are given to saved people.

But that being said, those people in the hurricanes DID get food and water....and the ones who lost their lives? God's provision is not a promise of immortality on earth......as in never facing physical death.

If she continues thinking this way, she will wind up excusing inaction on her part by saying that the needy obviously were meant to be needy by God Himself.....so who is she to interfere with God's plan? Did you know this is a common belief in India under Hinduism?

Is she struggling with a depression, perhaps?

 

[Emily25069]

yes.. she probably is, but she points out that there were christians in those hurricanes and some of them died not because of the hurricane itself, but because the lack of clean water went on for too long.. like.. babies who couldnt eat because they were formula fed, or something like that.

She is in a rut, and she says that she is not depressed, but from my standpoint, watching her, she definately is.

 

[bapmom]

She needs to remember that alot of the negative news stories that were spread around were unsubstantiated, and later found to be outright untruths.
The news media went crazy with some of their stories, turning much of it into something it wasn't.

The fact that there is sin in the world, in and of itself means that there will be suffering. Just as sun and healthy rain comes on the just and the unjust alike, so also suffering comes on the just and the unjust. This does not mean that God is not providing for His people.

 

[Roguelet]

Well said Bapmom

 

[Emily25069]

I understand that..

from her understanding though, what she thought of as needs are not needs, and God is not obligated to meet any of those needs, including food, water, shelter, vision, hearing..

this has broken her..

The only thing I can really do is pray for her to have understanding.