God's People Lack Nothing
Let’s continue our series about the negatives in the Bible. I’m going to make a bold statement here, but I assure you it’s true. God’s people lack nothing. Sure, we may not have everything we want in life, but we have everything we need. The psalmist said it best in Psalm 23.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
But the psalms is not the only place we see this principle taught. In fact, it stretches through the entire Bible. Time after time, the Scriptures display God’s provision for His people. In impossible situations. Against all odds. God’s people weren’t left in need. Let’s look at some of these instances.
1) The children of Israel lacked nothing during their forty years in the wilderness. God provided food, water, shelter. As if that weren’t miraculous enough, He made certain their clothes and shoes held up and even that their feet didn’t swell from all the walking. Now that’s provision!
“For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. ”
“Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.”
2) When the Amalekites invaded Ziklag and carried away all the women, children and goods, God allowed David and his men to recover everything.
“And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. ”
3) Because of Solomon’s kind heart, God blessed him and the kingdom of Israel, so they wanted for nothing. There wasn’t another kingdom like it in all the land.
“And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.”
4) When Jesus sent his disciples out two by two, He commanded that they shouldn’t take anything with them. Not a staff for protection or a coat for the cold. No food. No provisions. Nothing. And yet, all their needs were provided for, and they needed nothing.
“And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. ”
Is that awesome or what? From the Old Testament to the New, we see account after account of God providing, and I’ve only skimmed the surface by pointing out some situations where the Bible specifically uses the word “nothing.” The principle itself is taught in nearly every book of the Bible. But what about now? Does God still provide for His people? Absolutely. The God of the Bible is the God of today, and He always ensures His people have all they need. For proof of that, we need only turn back to the book of Psalms.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
No good thing will He withhold. That’s a beautiful verse, and it’s also an important one in helping us to under how our ways are not God’s ways. He promised He would not withhold anything that is good, but that means the things that are good in His eyes, not ours. To me, a bulging bank account sounds pretty good, but God hasn’t seen fit to give me that, so it must mean that He doesn’t see that as good for me. Physical healing is a good thing, right? Maybe, or maybe God knows we’ll grow the most spiritually when we’re feeling poorly physically.
I will admit, on more than one occasion, I have taken this verse to God as proof that He wasn’t living up to His promise.
“God, you promised you wouldn’t withhold good from me, but I didn’t get the job I wanted.”
“God, you said right here you wouldn’t withhold good from those who walk uprightly. You know I am, but my life is such a mess right now. What’s up?”
Each time I point out the verse, God—in His grace—reminds me that we don’t always view things in the same light, and what I see as good may not be what I need. What I want, yes, but not what I need. And like the loving Father He is, God cares for us too much to give us everything we want, especially when He knows those wants will harm us. Instead, He gives us good gifts, and often only He understands how precious those gifts genuinely are.
God’s people lack nothing. Not in Bible times. Not today. God cares for His people, and He cares for You. Trust Him today even if your lot in life is not what you planned, expected, or asked for. God has a plan, and He means it for good. Take comfort in that.