The title of today’s study might seem a bit silly at first, but it’s meant to cause us to honestly stop and think. Each of us carries with us a certain perspective of God – a perspective that has been shaped by the events of our life, the doctrines and traditions we have learned, and the general thoughts and feelings that we have on a day-to-day basis.
The question found in the title of today’s study, is one that each of us must ask… Do we actually see Jesus as a provider? – because it is one of the ways which He has clearly revealed Himself. A provider in every single way and sense of the word.
In some cases, there has been push-back against the idea of seeing Jesus as a provider, because they say “it makes God into a genie” – some have felt that it is flat-out wrong to ask God for things, or that it is somehow greedy, selfish or worldly. Others have been taught that God really doesn’t care about provision, because that is too carnal, and God only cares about spiritual things. But again, is that how He has revealed Himself? Is that the picture He has painted Himself as in the scriptures?
Today we will take a look at the picture of Jesus as a provider, as demonstrated in scripture, and see a crucial aspect of Himself, that is sometimes ignored, but one that He wants us to see and receive, as much as any other.
Imagine for a moment if you will, that God appeared to you in a dream and asked you what He was to give you. What it is that you would ask for? Perhaps more money? Healing? Maybe to find true love? Would you ask to see more of Jesus? Now I am not asking the question in order to bring a sense of guilt on you, so please don't feel that way. However what we will be reading in scripture today will actually shift your mentality, to see that actually all of the other blessings will come as you see and receive more of Jesus into your life, because He is actually the source of every blessing.
As we study this today, it is my sincere hope for you that this will change your outlook, and even your thinking as you study the Bible in your personal time. That Bible reading will not be a chore, or a tool for behavior modification. But that it will become a joy and a treasure, as you grow closer to the LORD, and live a life of divine blessing through Him.
Today, I am going to share with you a secret. It has been said that “the best place to hide is right out in the open”, and this secret has been right out in the open all along. This secret is that Jesus is the solution to every single one of your problems. Now you may have heard this before, but for one reason or another you have had limited success in seeing your problems being solved by Jesus. This has actually been a common complaint among believers for a long time, and there are many different theories why; but the Bible has one single reason, or more accurately, one reason expressed in a variety of ways throughout the Bible.
So today we are going to study exactly what this reason is and how to apply it in our daily lives Once we see this truth from scripture, and truly embrace it, that is when we will release more of the miracle-working, delivering power of Jesus into our life, and chains will be broken as a result.
This is a very important and special study today. It carries special significance because there is a lot of confusion and a lot of wrong believing in this particular area, and it is the area of how Jesus has made provisions for our prosperity. Now there are some people who immediately recoil at the mention of prosperity, and one of the main areas where there is a lot of wrong believing and a lot of wrong teaching is in the area of tithing.
So today we are going to be studying tithing, and how Jesus has made provisions for us to prosper in every area of our life. And I believe that at the end of this study, many people's eyes are going to be opened and many chains are going to be broken in the area of finances and prosperity as a result of seeing the truth of Jesus in our lives today and specifically in this area.