Ways to Stay Close to Your Source of Provision

This episode is about Staying Close to Your Source of Provision in the midst of chaos. 

The scripture for this episode is Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is My Shepherd; I have all that I need." NLT

Staying close to our source of provision (God) can be challenging but it's necessary. God has what we need at all times. 

Transcript and Episode Notes (Episode Points are in bold) :

Denea (00:01)
Hello, hello, it's Denea, your host of the Faith Filled Mom podcast. Today's episode is all about how to stay close to your source of provision in the midst of chaos, in the midst of living in a broken world, in the midst of fill in the blank. I want to go ahead and pray first. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you that you are

Thank you that you were always close to us. And we thank you God that you were God. Your ways are higher. You know a lot more than we do. You are high and holy and lifted up in your rightful place. And yet Father, you love to be our source of provision. We thank you Father. We just ask for your wisdom and your guidance. In Jesus name, amen.

So today we're coming from Psalm 23, verse one, the Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. This scripture, this group of scriptures, I've said it before, it is absolutely my favorite. One of my favorites in the Bible. It is just so comforting to know that God is always with us. This scripture, this verse in particular, to,

kind of get context behind it because we've been talking a lot about that right like getting context behind scripture it is important so let's go ahead and kind of set the scene so the person who wrote this scripture is David David was a shepherd before he was king before he was anointed appointed to be king he was a shepherd and so if anybody would be saying

The Lord is my shepherd. Like if anybody would know the time and commitment and care and provision that a good shepherd can provide, it would be a shepherd themselves, right? It would be a shepherd. Like David, it says that David, you know, knows, he knew what it was like to fight off predators who were seeking his sheep, right? He is somebody who has been, he is,

He knows about that life. Like David was a shepherd. So for him to be calling someone else a shepherd, that to me, it makes me look at this verse in a different way. David knew that he was the source of his sheep's provision. And so that made me think like, what am I doing to stay close to my source of provision?

So that's kind of what we're going to talk about today because that's, that's what it is, right? Sheep have to stay close to their shepherd. Now we do know, you know, Jesus said that he would go after the one, right? He leaves the 99. but it's also important for us to know that we got to stay close to our source. So how do we do that? Here are a few practical ways for you to implement that today, this week, number one,

pray and go to God and be honest with God about how you were feeling. The beautiful thing about God is that he doesn't have an ego. You know, like we can tell God, like, hey, I'm really disappointed, God, that you worked this out in a way.

that I didn't plan for, that a way that I didn't want. And to be honest with you, I'm feeling a little disappointed right now. I need you to help me navigate this. Like we can go to God and tell him how we are honestly feeling because the truth is he already knows. But I think he wants us to be honest with him because whenever we're honest with someone, I feel like it just opens up.

I don't know, possibility of intimacy that wasn't there before. Like have you ever had a friendship mama where you and your friend are just kind of talking and maybe you or your friend admits something that you've been struggling with and you just kind of talk about it for a while and you feel closer after that conversation. There's something about just being vulnerable and honest with a friend.

that just takes your relationship, that can take your relationship to the next level. And I think that's a great way. God is a safe person for us to do that with, you know? Like we don't have to worry about like God gossiping about us, or we don't have to worry about God trying to throw that back in our face later. Like that's not who he is. That's not what he does. God is a safe place for us to be vulnerable, for us to be open and honest.

Another great way to stay close to your source of provision is to turn down the noise. Turn, turn down, turn off or limit your use maybe of social media. Stop scrolling so much. Podcasts. Hey, I love podcasts. Well, I'm on a podcast right now, but I'm telling you that it is okay sometimes if you need to skip an episode.

so that you can prioritize carving out a few moments of quiet time with you and God, do that. Like whenever we say, you know, decrease the noise, I feel like, or maybe this is just me, I tend to think of like only bad stuff, you know, but like the thing is there's nothing wrong about trying to listen to a biblical podcasts or watch a biblical teaching on YouTube. You know, there's nothing wrong with that.

But the truth is I don't believe we were always created to be consuming. We gotta take a break. We have to create time for reflection. That's something I talk about often. Pausing and reflecting, that kind of helps us process things, right? Like that's one reason why our brains were not created to just go, go, go, go, go all of the time.

So every now and then, like, yeah, I think it's good to be like, you know what? I'm going to listen to that another time. I need some quiet time with God. And I think it's important to know that when you create, when you're turning down the noise in order to prioritize quiet pockets of time, number one, the quiet time does not have to be like 30 minutes long. If you have it, that's great. But I also want to say it can be two minutes.

And I've said it before, it can be 20 seconds. If that's what you have, because we all have had those days before. And I think that that's okay. If the time that you have, the little bit of time that you had to prioritize towards quiet time, God sees that you were surrendering your little, the little bit that you have. God sees that. He knows what that sacrifice is for you.

you could be choosing to do something else. Like he knows that. He's not offended if you just have 20 seconds of quiet time. And in that quiet time, like for me, I'll be honest sometimes, it feels odd. Sometimes I don't initially hear from God. I don't get a prompting, but I think it's a practice. And I think the more that we do it, that just kind of flexes and builds that muscle a little bit of.

quiet time and then we can start really being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And then we can start understanding what it actually, what is that sensation? Like what does it feel like to be prompted by God? What does it feel like for you when God is speaking to you? Because it might be different from someone else, but the only way to know that is when we practice it. That's the only way to do that. So start practicing. Whoops.

I know if you heard that. A picture just randomly fell. Start practicing that quiet time. Right? And in this quiet time, I think another reason for me why it might feel a little bit odd at first is because this quiet time is to create a time for God to speak to us. And I'm not saying like you can't during this time, you can't say anything to God. No, like if you feel prompted to pray, pray, talk to God.

But I think it is important to have time where we are just still in just letting God know like, hey, I'm open right now, like to hear what you're saying to me today. Because the truth is God is always speaking to us. I think we just have it like, you know, the noise turned up so loud in our lives, not intentional. And again, it's not all that, it's not bad stuff all the time. You know, it can be just day to day stuff.

But I think it's important to prioritize that. Another great way to stay close to your source of provision is to surrender. Surrender maybe how you wanted, know, a certain outcome that you have. Surrender your desires or how one, maybe you want to respond to somebody, react one way.

Ooh, you want to tell that person something and maybe it's warranted, right? But surrendering your fleshly desire and seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance so that you can walk like Jesus, that is a way, that's a great way to stay close to your provision. That's a great way to keep your eyes on God is to seek the Holy Spirit, seek His guidance and how you should respond in certain situations.

When we do that, it's kind of like the same thing. We're building that muscle. We're creating the Holy Spirit is transforming us from the inside out. Something is being built. We're getting stronger, right? Like those actions, they're starting to become more like Jesus. Even if you don't feel it, that is so important to practice that serenity. It's another practice. It's another practice because we're human. It's another practice because

It's got to feel like surrendering to the Holy Spirit and surrendering our desires. I feel like it looks different in every season. Right? Like the more, the more life you live, you're going to be called to surrender different things and that it's going to look different and that's okay. That's how it's supposed to be. But that is why it's a practice and it's a practice because we're not always going to get it right because we, you know, we, got that human in us. Another great way.

to, I think, stay close to our provision is to put on praise and worship music. And just when I put on praise and worship music, I heard somebody say this and I thought it was so beautiful. Like try to imagine God in front of you. Just the smallest glimpse.

of what you could imagine that would look like, right? And the good thing is there's really no right or wrong way to do this. It's just getting that imagery and then just start worshiping Him just like He's right in front of you. I think that is another great way to really stick close to your source of provision, praise and worship. know, God is worthy. He is high, He is holy, He is lifted up in His rightful place.

And I think that we have to declare that, we have to declare that to our atmospheres, we have to declare it to ourselves and remind ourselves of that often. It is so good for us to do that. There are other great ways to stay close, extend kindness. God's kindness and the love and the compassion and the patience that he shows us and the grace and the mercy that he shows us. We are supposed to be extensions of that.

Right? It's supposed to flow. It's supposed to flow through us. It's supposed to flow to us. It comes from God. We share the gift of patience or grace with someone else. And eventually it will come back to us because that gift, it doesn't expire. It doesn't end. It's supposed to flow through us and to us. think that's another great way. Be an extension of God's grace to somebody today.

Maybe that's someone else or maybe it's you who needs it. Be an extension of God's patience today. Woo, Jesus, that's tough. I know, I know, I know, I know that is so tough, right? But the truth is, that's tough. The truth is though, I mean, it's an extension of God. And when we show other people that like, we might think it's something small, but it's just showing somebody a glimpse.

of the goodness of God. That's another great way to stay close to your father. That's another great way to stay close to your source of provision. And then the last way, if you're not sure, ask. You know, like I get caught up in sometimes thinking that like, I don't know how to explain this, that I'm supposed to Christian right. That makes sense. And so in order to Christian right,

I'm supposed to know all of the answers. I'm supposed to have all of the answers. Therefore, I shouldn't be asking God to, you know, to help me with trying to stay close to him. Like I'm supposed to know how to do that. When that is not true. That is absolutely not true. I think that that is more of like a performance thing.

You know, and our relationship with God, it is a relationship. It's not a performance with God. It's a relationship with God. And so I just want to remind you today, if I'm, you know, I'm sitting here talking about how to stick close to your source of provision and you're like, okay, what? Like how, how am I supposed to do that? Or maybe you're thinking like, okay, yeah, I could do that in another season, but in this season right here tonight, like I don't.

even know I'm having trouble getting out of bed in the morning like staying close to my source of provision like I don't know how to do that. I just want to remind you that's okay. It is so okay if you don't know how to stay close to your source of provision. Right now it's okay if you don't know how to show kindness to other people. It's okay if you're you're listening to me talking about praise and worship maybe you haven't actually done that before.

maybe you are new to the Christian faith and you're like okay yeah I know praise and worship songs but like what what do I do when I'm by myself like at church you know I get it I'm around other people but what I just want to remind you that there is no such thing as quote unquote being like a "the right type of Christian" or "Christianing" right. It is okay for us to say God I need your help with this walk right with with with with this walk of being a Christian I need your help.

with this walk of becoming more Christ-like. I need your help with this journey. I need your help showing this person compassion because I really don't know how because I've done X, Y, and Z. I need your help with showing this person patience because God, I have tried multiple times. I don't feel like I have it today. God, I need your help in staying close to you as my source of provision because God, I feel so tired. I feel so exhausted right now.

I just want to remind you it's okay to go to your Heavenly Father for help. He loves to help us. He did not send Jesus to die on a cross just to be like, okay, y'all have fun. I'll see y'all in the next age. Like he sent Jesus to the cross so that he could fellowship with us, so that he could sit with us, so that he could be with us, beside us.

He wants to do life with us. He loves helping us. We're not bothering God when we ask him for help. He loves it. He loves to help. He loves to fill us. He loves to lead us. He loves to guide us. He loves to comfort us. He loves all of that. Go to him. I'm gonna pray us out. God, thank you so much. for your word and just thank you, God, that you are our good shepherd.

Thank you that you and you alone are our source of provision of all things God. How blessed are we that we have you, that you are our source of provision. Right now, God, we ask that you would give us your wisdom and discernment and help us. Help us as we are doing this walk of life as Jesus followers. How do we stick close to you, God?

as our source of provision. How do we show other people in this broken world? How do we show them compassion? How do we show them patience and mercy and your kindness, God? How do we do this life? We need you. We need you to show us. We need you to tell us. We need you to give us discernment, empower us, make us sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we welcome the work that you wanna do.

within us to transform us to be more like Christ. Help us to boldly obey the promptings that you give us. We love you, Father. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. It was Psalm 23, verse one, but I will put that in the show notes in case you were doing 50 million things right now and you're like, okay, Psalms, I got Psalm.

19 she said I got it. Don't worry. I will put it in the show notes. Am I the only one who does that? I'm like, okay, don't worry. I'm gonna I've got this I'm gonna remember it and then like three hours later, I'm like, I don't got it. I don't I didn't remember it. I'm gonna put it in the show notes for you just in case if you could review this podcast wherever whatever platform you're listening to it on review this podcast, it just helps push it out to other people or you can send it to someone

If you think that you know someone who maybe is having a tough time right now and you're like, hey, when was the last time you spent time with God? And they're like, ah, I don't have time for that. I don't know how to do that. Send them this podcast. Maybe you can teach them. Maybe you can help them. I love you. Thank you so much for listening. I will put all of my contact information and the scripture in the show notes for you. I will talk to you next time. Love you.

 

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