God The Father | The Father Who Provides
About this series:
‘The First Person is commonly called "Father" because he is the initiator and source of heaven's love. In biblical times, a father was seen as the source of life in a family (as the begetter) and also as the source of provision and leadership to sustain and give identity to the family…Some Christians mistakenly imagine that the name “Father” refers to some kind of “inner biology” within the Godhead…Father is the preeminent title for the First Person primarily because it teaches us that he is the source of all the Trinity’s purposes’ (Ryken & Lefebvre).
The truth that God is our Father and we are his children is one of the most precious things we can ever contemplate. J. I. Packer wrote: ‘To be right with God the judge is a great thing. But to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater…Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers; higher than justification…adoption is the apex of redemptive grace and privilege’.
The Father who Loves (1 John 3:1-3)
The Father who is Sovereign (Isaiah 46)
The Father who is Present (Deuteronomy 31:1-8)
The Father of Mercy (Luke 15:11-32)
The Father who Adopts (Galatians 4:4-7)
The Father who Provides (Matthew 6:25-34)
The Father who Disciplines (Hebrews 12:5-11)
About this talk:
Of all the things people find difficult, perhaps none is more so than Jesus’ instruction repeated three times in Matthew 6:25-34, “Do not worry.” People worry about all sorts of things and, depending on their personality and circumstances, can do so much of the time. Someone once said, “There are only two times I’m anxious and three things I’m anxious about. The times I’m anxious: day and night. The things I’m anxious about: the past, the present and the future.” And very often, worry is directly related to the fear that we may not have what we believe we need.
In many ways, to be human is to worry. And we all experience particular circumstances or seasons that tend to increase our anxiety levels. Just one example from the recent pandemic highlighted on the BBC website was, ‘Money worries in pandemic drive surge in anxiety…The survey's finding suggested that more than 25 million people (in the UK)…rated their anxiety as “high,” more than double the [number] at the end of 2019. Those suffering the greatest level of worry were an estimated 2.6 million people who said they were struggling to pay bills.’ It has been well documented that pandemic led to an increase in anxiety levels in the UK population generally.
There are health concerns, decisions that need to be made, children, parents, work, church, neighbours, global issues, and so on. Worry can lead us to develop physical, mental and spiritual symptoms. It can lead us to procrastinate and even paralyse us into inaction. It can affect our relationships, our sleep patterns, our eating habits and our social interactions.
So how can Jesus say so simply, three times in a few sentences, “Do not worry?” With Paul encouraging us likewise, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6). The key to understanding Jesus’ instruction is to grasp the reasons he gives for not worrying, which range from the logical to the profound:
v 27: “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” This is no less significant because it is logical. As we all know, nothing is to be gained by worrying; in fact, things usually deteriorate when we worry.
v 34: “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” To worry about future things (that often won’t happen) is to pay the price of the cares and stresses of tomorrow before their time.
v 25: “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Worry tends to upset the reasonable estimation of the value we put on things. When I worry about what I don’t have, I forget to be grateful for what I do have. When I worry about what I will wear, I can forget to be grateful that I have a body that works (even if, for some, severely limited). Worry often turns the minors into majors.
v 32: “The pagans run after all these things.” To worry is to live without confidence in our Father is to live as orphans, which is just how those outside Christ live.
vs 26-30: “Your heavenly Father knows.” This, of course, is the most profound reason Jesus gives and the true antidote for the child of God when they worry. Jesus says, similarly, in Matthew 6:8, “Do not be like them (the pagans), for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” The great privilege of God’s children is to know they have an all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful perfect heavenly Father who cares and provides for them.
v 33: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (clothes, food, drink - the basic cares of life, vs 25,31) will be given to you as well.” This extraordinary promise is given to all who, by God’s grace, are enabled to submit their cares to him.
Paul’s words in Philippians 4 are very similar as he gives the reason for living out his instruction: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Learning not to worry is not only the result of mental techniques, finding distractions or thinking positively, helpful though those are. It is the fruit of taking all our cares to Almighty God, our Father, who knows us, cares for us and loves us perfectly; the fruit of trusting that he is the God who provides all that we truly need. In his arms we can rest and be still. It is then that peace can come and guard our hearts and minds from anxiety that otherwise will take a firm grip.
And that peace can be found in knowing that he provides not only in the basic necessities of physical life, but in all our needs - from being loved to finding meaning and purpose; from identity to forgiveness of sins.
Audio only
Stories of Provision: Life Group Activity
Matthew 6:25–34
God provides — and hearing real stories of that can change everything. This session invites your group to explore what Jesus says about worry and provision, then share what that has looked like in their own lives.
Give people a heads-up a day or two before your group meets. Ask them to come ready to share a story of how God has provided for them — not just financially, but in any area of life.
Before you meet
Send a WhatsApp message 1–2 days before. Ask people to think of a story of God's provision — a job, a friendship, a sense of direction, or anything else.
Print or copy the discussion quotes below if you're using Option B.
To start — Read the passage together
Read Matthew 6:25–34 aloud together. Let each person read one or two verses.
Give everyone a moment to re-read the passage slowly and quietly on their own.
Ask: what line or verse stood out to you — and why?
Ask: what does this passage tell us about who God is?
Pick one option for the main part of the evening
Option A — Sharing stories of provision
Invite people to share their stories. Give each person space — don't rush.
Even 3 or 4 stories can fill a whole evening. That's a good thing.
After sharing, break into groups of 3 or 4.
In those smaller groups, invite people to share one current provision need. Then pray for each other.
Option B — Discussion quotes
Break into groups of 4. Give each group one or two quotes to discuss.
"Understanding God's love has the ability to remove anxiety." Do you agree? What does understanding God's love actually look like — especially in a moment of anxiety?
"If Jesus cares enough to let us go through storms, he must have a deeper wisdom and purpose." When does this ring true for you? Why is it so hard to believe in the middle of a storm?
"Anxiety comes from misplaced priorities and focus." — John Stott What do you think this means? How might seeking God's kingdom first actually reduce our anxiety?
"God is a provider, and we are therefore to be providers." What might this look like in practice — both inside and outside the church?
Tip: Copy these quotes into your WhatsApp group so everyone can read them — or print them out before your group meets.
To finish — J · I · R · E · H
Jireh means "The Lord will see to it."
In your smaller groups, come up with a word or phrase for each letter of JIREH — something connected to what you've been talking about. Keep it light, it can be fun! Then close by thanking God together for his character as a provider — and for always giving us what we truly need.
