The Provider

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

THE PROVIDER

John 18:7-11

7 Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go."  9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."    10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" 

NIV

After showing he had the power to overthrow, to actually destroy them by the words from his mouth, he now gives them what they are seeking, him. Although we could look further into this discussion and the prophetic fulfillment of his own words, we should focus on the life application which stands out here on the action of Peter and the response of Jesus to his action. When God is about to do something supernaturally to provide in some way for us, as Jesus was about to provide eternal life for us, Peter in all his humanity tries to get in the way. In this case he would have been preventing the very thing he needed the most, eternal life. Jesus told Peter stop, put that sword away and asked him if he should not do the will of the Father. True he used other words, but that is the meaning. Our humanity should not interfere with doing the will of the Father and allowing the supernatural power of God to be accomplished. So often instead of trusting in the power of God, we humans think we need to get involved in our providing what we think we need. Although we have heard so many times that cursed is the man who trusts in flesh, but blessed is the man whose trust is in the Lord, we still try to do it ourselves. Some of us might even think our human efforts are the way God is providing. He has assured us over and over again, that we should not be seeking after provisions, but after his kingdom and his righteousness and he will add all the stuff to our lives. He has instructed us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink or about our body, what we will wear. He has told us that life is more important than food and the body more important the clothes. He assures us that he feeds the birds of the air even though they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, because we are much more valuable than they are. He assures us that the lilies of the field grow even though they do not labor or spin and that he has clothed the grass of the field, which by the way is here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, and if he does that he would certainly clothe us. Of course all this he said was in the context of his first saying that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve God and money at the same time; we either love one and hate the other or devoted to the one and despise the other. Peter was looking to humanity to solve the situation, when we look to our humanity to solve our situation we may well be in deep trouble, for we might be loving the one and hating the other. True we would never hate God, but if we are devoted to serving our own needs in the flesh than perhaps we are despising God’s power in our life. Let us not be as Peter and try to provide that which God’s desires to do.