FLOWERS | On Faith and Writing

With all the predictions of economic collapse and shortages and famine that are being thrown around, what are we to do? As believers in Christ, how are we to respond?

You see, I have long struggled with the issue of ‘prepping’ for a disaster. Does it show a lack of faith in God to stockpile provisions?

I’ve heard many believers talk about being prepared, to save up both items and finances in case something should happen. It is only common sense to be prepared.

But when does that preparedness become a lack of faith?

God has been taking me through a journey of discovery recently and I thought I would share it, with the disclaimer that this is for me. What you do yourself is up to you and is between you and God.

I had been attempting to at least try to set a little aside; but what I have been able to do won’t last the two of us much more than a week or two. We have neither the finances or the room to equip a fully stocked pantry for months and months. And, truth be told, it was worrying me.

But the Lord kept bringing me back to Elijah and the widow that used the last of her flour and oil to prepare him a cake during a great famine. And because she trusted and obeyed, God kept her flour and oil replenished until the famine was over.

And then this morning, as I looked at the flowers blooming in the garden, I felt a little nudge in my spirit and a reminder of where the garden started and how far He had multiplied it in the past few years.

You see, I had begun with very little in the flower garden. A plant here, a plant there. A bulb or two here, a bulb or two there. But God has continued to multiply them.

Five lily bulbs have now grown into massive mounds of plants that just keep spreading and multiplying to the point I am having to divide them and throw them away. A few poppy plants have also grown into many plants. The iris are increasing every year. A few blue fescue plants have turned into at least three dozen. As with the lilies, I am going to have to start digging them up and throwing them away because I do not have any more room in my tiny garden.

So as I looked at all the glorious color, I felt God reminding me of all of this and asking me,

“If I multiplied your flowers for you, do you not think

that I will multiply your food for you as well?”

And then I was reminded of Jesus feeding the group of five thousand, and the group of four thousand, with just a few loaves of bread and a few fish. They multiplied in his hands until every one was fed.

He also reminded me of how He fed the Israelites forty years in the wilderness with the manna each morning, making sure that everyone had enough – not an abundance but just enough for each day. Teaching them to rely on Him day to day.

And then He said

“Seek Me first and all this will be added unto you.”

Don’t you just love our God?