Can we depend on God for our daily material food?

edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew 6&version=50

Matthew 6 (New King James Version)


Do Not Worry
 
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.



If I was poor in a third world country, and do not get food everyday and rarely.. can I trust in this scripture?



Comments

  • YES YOU CAN..... but don't put yourself in a place to "test" GOD, and to say: Hey God, look at me, i don't have any food right now, could you send me something?! (while you actually left the food at home on purpose......to see if the scripture would be fullfiled)

    GOD WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED, whatever it happens to be.......
  • [quote author=mikeforjesus link=topic=6941.msg92863#msg92863 date=1216213162]
    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew 6&version=50

    Matthew 6 (New King James Version)


    Do Not Worry
       
    25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
    28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.



    If I was poor in a third world country, and do not get food everyday and rarely.. can I trust in this scripture?






    If you cared more about the word of God and cared more about your spirit than your body, than its a guarantee God will feed you. The verse says DONT worry about what youl eat or drink.. because there not even close to as important as feeding your spirit.
  • Yes, you can but on some conditions. For example, if your very poor and homeless, you have to really try to get a job or earn money. So you can't just be on the streets and expect God to give you some food. You have to show at least some effort in hard times in order for God to help you out. So you can't tell yourself "it's useless, i'll never get a job so I won't even try", well than God won't try helping you either than.

    PK
  • I heard this story supposedly a true story, about this poor man who had children and he had no money to feed them and he tried so hard to get food but he jsut couldnt get anymoney and his kids were crying because of hunger, and than the man went into his small home and closed the door and he prayed saying God why did you leave me and my children hungry. Just than someone knocked on his door, and when he opened the door there was a man holding a basket of food and he said to the poor man "how can you say I left you?"
  • Theres a similar story in the "stories id like to share" thread in Youth Corner... I found it in a magazine, and it is sooo beautiful.
  • But I thought there was many poor people who die from hunger in third world countries still.. I think they would try to work if there was work for them to do. Its their life thats at stake.

  • let us not forget God says work!

    If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
  • God actually provides food for the entire world, the production is sufficient to feed the entire world, so God indeed prepared a planet that is capable of housing and feeding us all.
    However, due to the greed and selfishness of man, a lot of food is waisted, not distributed in a fair way etc. I really don't think we can blame God for this...just as God blesses the earth and harvest, there's also a role for us as humans to share the food in a fair way. But then again, if this was a reality, there would be no starvation or poverty.
  • to sum it up:

    YOU DO YOUR PART< and if that is still not enough, GOD WILL DO THE REST.
  • [quote author=Meena_Ameen link=topic=6941.msg92887#msg92887 date=1216267969]
    [quote author=mikeforjesus link=topic=6941.msg92863#msg92863 date=1216213162]
    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew 6&amp;version=50

    Matthew 6 (New King James Version)


    Do Not Worry
       
    25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
    28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.



    If I was poor in a third world country, and do not get food everyday and rarely.. can I trust in this scripture?






    If you cared more about the word of God and cared more about your spirit than your body, than its a guarantee God will feed you. The verse says DONT worry about what youl eat or drink.. because there not even close to as important as feeding your spirit.


    In this Case you have to refer back to the verse, Seek First the Kingdom of God and all this will be added to you

    A great example of this would be Amba Paul...or Amba Karas...or any hermits for that matter...did God not feed them?!?!

    We have to remember everything...dont just hang onto one verse or passage!
  • [quote author=mikeforjesus link=topic=6941.msg92863#msg92863 date=1216213162]
    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew 6&amp;version=50

    Matthew 6 (New King James Version)


    Do Not Worry
      
    25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
    28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.



    If I was poor in a third world country, and do not get food everyday and rarely.. can I trust in this scripture?






    I'm pretty sure, especially in the middle of Africa where food is scarce that if someone prayed, God will provide for them. I think you are more likely to see God's blessings in your life when you enter a state of perpetual poverty rather than one of luxury.

    I was in Africa, and I know that God takes care of people there - because its definately not the state, nor the police, NOR the doctors there.

    But you don't even need to go to Africa to understand this point.

    What about in France or UK where thousands of old age people die each year in their homes from the heat?
    They live in rich countries also. The state isn't God. Putting your trust in people is not wise. I think trusting in the Lord to provide for you is much more wiser than trusting even in yourself.

    I know many here would disagree, but my logic is this:

    I do what is honest in my life, and trust God for everything. I'll work hard, but trust in the Lord to make my work fruitful. but if i put my trust in my intelligence, in my personality, in my family or whatever, and not trust God for everything, there is a risk that the limitation of my intelligence or being will result in my own demise.

    I work with homeless often. I know many of them now personally. A lot of them come from very wealthy families. A lot. Now they are homeless. A lot of them are intelligent, and well educated. And yet homeless.

    I remember I had a friend at school that was aetheist that was SO rich. He was very bright also. His parents were even part of the board of directors of the school. The last thing I heard was he tried to commit suicide. He never finished his studies, he grew his hair long.. Everyone would be saying "I cannot believe how he turned out given his family and his intelligence".

    Even the Bible asks us to Glory in Christ. The saints have written books on us looking for praise. Its dangers, and we should always give thanks to Christ, not ourselves.
  • isn't there a verse, i don't remember the exact words, that tells us that God's word is enough to feed us? and that the holy spirit is our water?
    besides it is the soul that is the most important, not the body
  • Christ is the Manna, the Bread of Life that feeds our souls. His word feeds our souls. Yes.
    But, what this is talking about is depending on God for our needs. And frankly, I feel He does listen to prayers and grant us our needs.

    Also, apparently, and I'm not 100% sure here but the part where we say "Give us this day our daily bread" is referring to our spiritual daily bread, not physical daily bread. (its what abouna once told me). He said that we cannot ask God for our physical daily bread without FIRST asking for our spiritual daily bread, which means we pray for His Word (i.e. the daily bread of our souls, to feed us).

    This is really talking about reading the Bible, or hearing God's word that is the Manna for the soul.
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