Don’t expect God to warehouse His provisions …

What’s a core source for the frustration many feel toward God?

“Cart-before-the-horse” thinking.

I was reminded of this when responding to a message sent to me on Facebook from a friend. I was happy to hear she was drawing closer to accomplishing something she had been dreaming about, thinking about, praying about, planning for, and taking action toward for a long time. Now that the dream was nearing becoming reality, “nerves” were setting in. Here’s a part of my response:

“… it’s a common thing what you’re feeling. It’s one thing to run everything through our wishes, wants, dreams and thoughts, as though they were real. It’s quite another when they actually become real and have to be lived! So take heart that you now have hopes turning into reality, and take confidence that God’s provision comes in the living out of a thing more than the thinking through of it.”

We often approach the dreams God gives us by wanting the entire picture and provision provided up front. When that doesn’t happen, we allow doubts and fears to wear away at the dream, often resulting in a great loss of time, or loss of action, or losing the dream altogether.

But more often than not, God doesn’t start our dreams with an advance installment of the needed provisions! He starts by giving us the dream, which then needs to be thought through (reasonably understood), prayed through, planned for, and finally executed. Yet, we often fail to do these things until God supplies the provision!

It’s cart-before-the-horse thinking.

If it is God who gives us a dream, He will then also supply us with the means to accomplish it. But the supply of the means usually comes when needed. That reality challenges us to step out in faith and act first, trusting God that what is needed will be provided for when needed. We would rather have God put “supply” in a warehouse first, so we know it’s there. But God does something better: He assures us that He will meet the needs of the dreams He gives, and His assurance is greater than a warehouse full of provision!

Are you acting on your dreams, or waiting for provision? Are you stepping out in faith, trusting God and His timing? What can you do to make sure you have the “horse before the cart”?

Scotty