Only As Needed

“For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.” (1Ch 12:22 AV)

It sure would be nice to have all the resources we would ever need to accomplish that which God called us to do at one time.  Wouldn’t it?  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had all the financial resources we would ever need to build His work or provide for whatever family may come down the pike, or the career which He has determined for us?  It sure would make planning a whole lot better if we knew what we had to work with, wouldn’t it?  Life doesn’t work that way.  The LORD often provides as we need it.  As much as that might be frustrating, this is the way of God’s plan.  It certainly was for David.  The LORD provided for him day by day.  As his responsibility grew, the LORD provided the men he needed.  Not until the LORD was ready to give him those responsibilities, did He provide the needed resources for it.  This is a lesson we learn early in our adult life.  We want all the tools to be successful all at once.  The LORD says, not so fast.

The task at hand can seem overwhelming.  I am sure David looked upon his kingdom of millions of people and wondered how he was ever going to manage.  The same is true no matter the calling.  There is a funny commercial that brings back memories.  I cannot recall the product that is represented, but the commercial starts out with a first time mom leaving her baby with a sitter.  She has all the first time mom paraphernalia strewn over the first floor.  She goes through a long list of dos and don’ts.  She gives a half-dozen phone numbers for emergency contacts.  She promises to call every ten minutes.  Then the same scene is advanced for several years and this new mom has a second child.  She runs out the door as she hands the sitter a new baby, throws some cheerios in a bowl, and tells the sitter to dial 911 if there is an emergency.  The point is responsibility can be overwhelming.  However, time, experience, and maturity make it much easier to handle.  What happened?  Well, day by day the LORD adds the necessary tools to accomplish what at one time we saw as overwhelming.

There was a tool we used when I participated in a new plant build and start-up.  This tool has a name that escapes me.  In essence, it is a planning tool that takes the entire job and breaks it up in manageable pieces.  Each task is planned and scheduled.  The chart has all these long rectangles that overlap.  Each rectangle represents the task and duration needed to accomplish the goal.  We didn’t need all the material delivered before the project started.  We didn’t need all the manpower on site which would be involved in every aspect of the project.  It was a big deal.  All we needed was that which we needed on a day by day basis.  What started small became large.  It became incrementally large.  It grew at the rate we could manage it.  This is how God works.  To do otherwise would stress us out.  We couldn’t handle all this calling would encompass all at once.  Day by day the LORD will add that which we need.  Not before.  Day by day He will give us our daily bread.  Day by day we will advance.   Maybe no be leaps and bounds.  One step at a time.  As the LORD enables.  We may see overwhelming odds, but if broken down into small parts, and waiting on the LORD to provide, the odds are in our favor.