Matthew 2(a) – God’s Mysterious Ways

When I think of God’s provision from Mary’s perspective, I am reminded that His plans don’t always turn out like we think they should. 

Mary is pregnant with the SON OF GOD! As she and Joseph are wandering around Bethlehem looking for lodging, I wonder if Mary was calming herself, thinking, “God will provide, God will provide…”  and then – they are shown to a stable. A smelly, uncomfortable stable.

 This is IT?

THIS is God’s provision?

 I’m sure that Mary was grateful, but I can’t help but think she must have questioned what God was doing… And then the magi bring their strange gifts and she, again, gets that uneasy twinge that this baby of hers is not going to have a normal life. What was God doing? What was His plan?

I have often fallen into the trap of thinking that God’s provision necessarily means my comfort. I mean, do I want to trust a God who will let bad things happen to me? Can I really trust His provision when it doesn’t look the way  I think it should? I am reminded of that story about the man who is sitting on the roof of his house during a flood.  A neighbor comes by in a boat, rescuers drop down from a helicopter, soldiers come by in a tank, and each time, the man declines to leave his home.  When he dies, he’s angry at God because God didn’t save him.  God says, “I sent you a boat, a helicopter and a tank, what more did you want me to do!?!”   We often have a preconceived notion of what God’s provision should look like and if we’re not paying careful attention, we could miss it.

What are the common characteristics of God’s provision for the exiled Jews and for Mary?

• Their provision was not of their own doing
• It was not the expected outcome
• Jews and Mary were unable to help themselves out of the situation
• They were entirely dependent on others to rescue them

There’s a very good chance that, at some point in your Christian life, God will bring you to a point where you will be utterly dependent on Him to provide.  We must learn from Mary and the Jews and wait well, eagerly anticipating His provision in an unexpected form.

Look up the verses below and, if you have time, write them out in your journal. Internalize these promises of God. Note the circumstances involved in each verse or the state of mind the speaker is assumed to be in, and then look at how God is expected to provide.  

Isaiah 43:2 

Isaiah 54:10

1 john 1:9

Deut. 31:8

Phil 4:19

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 9:9-10

Do you see that, in each verse, God is not fixing the problem, and often He does not take us out of the challenging circumstances.  He is there in the midst of the problem with us.  God knows that is how and when true  spiritual growth happens.  The pain, the suffering, the exile we experience in its various ways, opens the door for God’s glory to be realized and our faith to fully rest in Christ.    

A year ago, I was introduced to an old hymn and it’s lyrics are so powerful and relevant that I’ll share them here for you to enjoy. I love the verses 3 & 4 – that the storms we so much dread will “break in blessings”; that the provision, the plan God might have for us may not look like what we think it should look like, but “behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.”  God is FOR US.  Despite the challenges we face and the strange way He provides, we can trust that He is there in the trenches with us and that should give us hope and courage. Mary may have questioned God’s provision, but she didn’t question His love.  

God moves in mysterious ways by William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sov’reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Have you ever wondered what God was doing in your life only to have His provision come in an unexpected or strange way? Have you had a negative or discouraging experience and God revealed His plans for you? Are you currently in the midst of a trial and having a hard time waiting for God to provide?  I’d love to hear your stories… please share in the comments below.