God Will Provide

There’s something about being told to begin a journey without a specific destination in mind. After all, how do you set your GPS, know how long the journey’s going to take, and what to pack? How do you know when you’ve arrived at your destination? Will it be on the right or the left?

In my journey, I wasn’t really going anywhere. Instead, this was a faith trip. With two sets of adult children, soon to be married and searching for homes in a fast-paced market, this mama prayed a lot, especially in the darkest hours of the morning. Young moms are awake with babies and sick children; mature moms are awake and wondering, Where will the kids be sleeping in three months when their current housing situations expire?

Praying during the night is an established discipline. My faith journey has spanned several decades. I’ve seen God’s faithful hand of provision again and again. Old Testament believers stacked stones to recall God at work (Joshua 4:5-7). I’ve got a mental stack of stones. At numerous times thorough the day and night, I asked God to provide houses for the kids. My friends and family prayed, too. My prayers felt constant. If I asked once, I asked 1,000 times. Seriously! While I had peace that God would care for their housing needs, it seemed like I prayed without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

In Genesis 22, we read about God providing a perfect lamb for Abraham (a parent) and Isaac (his son) at just the right time--not too soon, not too late. For several months, I interceded for our son and our daughter, reminding God of their housing needs. Recalling God as Jehovah Jireh, the provider, I leaned heavily into his promises at work throughout world history and my family’s history. I contemplated God’s provision for Abraham’s disjointed journey, the birth of Isaac when Abraham was an old man, and then that timely burnt offering.

One night, as I began praying, I sensed it was time to stop asking. I knew God had heard my prayers. He was working. It was time to demonstrate trust by being quiet! I thought, Am I praying for housing or am I praying for my comfort? The answer and the action were clear. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Six days later one set of kids had their house purchase offer accepted. Three weeks later, the other couple had a signed contract. God had provided. I knew he would. I write this post from the dining room in our daughter’s new house. It’s peaceful as I look out large windows toward a wooded lot. I thank God for what he’s provided. Sitting here, I’m reminded anew that God’s faithfulness is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).

• Are you praying to pass nursing exams? 
• If you teach, does course content or a struggling student keep you up during the night? Where are you trusting God to provide? 
• As a nurse, are you grappling with a workplace difficulty or asking God for direction for your next step professionally? 
• Is another person the focus of your intercession—a very sick patient or a colleague or a family member?

Like David the Psalm writer, and Abraham the nomadic parent, tell God what’s in your heart and mind. Keep talking until he tells you otherwise. And keep stacking mental stones of proof that he hears and answers.

Cathy Walker is Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Christian Nursing and a mom of two grown kids. She edits and prays in her home in Wisconsin.