When Scarcity Reveals God’s Abundance

Have you ever found yourself in a season where what see all around you doesn’t align with your vision? Where what you see doesn’t match what you believe is coming?

I’m there right now!

Recently, I’ve been walking through what looks like scarcity on paper. You know those moments when you’d rather not even think about “abundance” because, what you see all around you is broke and busted?

But here’s what I’m learning: sometimes our greatest spiritual lessons come when we’re pushed to look beyond our what we can see.

Seeing with New Eyes

When I intentionally shifted my perspective to identify God’s provision, I was amazed at what came into focus:

– A timely paycheck arriving at precisely the right moment

– Unexpected savings covering an unexpected cost

– A refrigerator and pantry filled with food

– School supplies and clothes for my children provided through others’ generosity

– Community support with childcare and practical needs

– Medical concerns resolved with covered healthcare

– Professional development opportunities at no personal cost

Each of these represents not just a met need, but evidence God’s abundant provision all around me that I might have missed!

The Farming Principle of Faith

One of my favorite analogies for this season comes from the farming analogies all over the Bible. We plant seeds, but we don’t control the harvest timeline. You plant the seed, you let the water and the light and the ground produce, so it’s up to God what kind of harvest to give.

I’m learning to trust God with the harvest while remaining faithful to plant what He’s calling me to plant. This practice of waiting patiently while expecting God to work has brought me peace even when I can’t see what’s on the other side of my waiting.

Paul’s Secret to Contentment

Philippians 4 has been speaking right to me:

“I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything… For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

What hits me the most is Paul’s perspective on giving and receiving. He views the generosity of others not primarily as meeting his needs, but as an opportunity for them to participate in God’s work. This is transforming how I view both giving and receiving help from others.

God’s Provision Through Community

I have been overcome with gratitude by seeing how God often meets my needs through other people. When Paul writes that “God will supply all your needs,” the delivery method is frequently through the hands and hearts of people all around us!

Looking around with the new eyes I prayed for, I can see how God has sent people to meet my family’s needs in ways I couldn’t have predicted. This awareness has not only deepened my sense of gratitude, but also reminded me how God might be using me to meet the needs of someone else.

What This Means For You

If you’re in a season that feels like scarcity, I invite you to:

1. “Look with new eyes” at the provision that may already be surrounding you

2. “Release the timeline” of your harvest and trust the Farmer

3. “Embrace contentment” as a spiritual practice, not just a response to circumstances

4. “Recognize God’s hand” working through the people around you

5. “Consider yourself” as a potential vessel for God’s provision to others

Remember, that sometimes the greatest growth happens not when everything is as we would like, but when scarcity forces us to look more deeply at what truly matters and to recognize provision in places we might otherwise might not have seen.

I’d love to hear: Where have you seen God’s provision show up unexpectedly in your own life lately?

In Him,

Marci

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Prayer for Today: “ Father, open our eyes to see Your provision even in seasons that feel like scarcity. Help us trust You with the harvest as we faithfully plant the seeds You’ve called us to sow. Teach us contentment that goes beyond our circumstances and give us hearts that recognize Your hand at work through the people around us. Amen!”