Generosity Doesn't Always Mean Throwing Around Money

Financial anxiety is real, but your security doesn't come from a paycheck.

God sees you in your financial struggles and hasn't forgotten you!

Jake's story of an unexpected job loss and facing mounting bills shares how God provided for him through unexpected means - a neighbor delivering groceries, repaid loans, and a surprising job opportunity.

Philippians 4:19 promises God will meet ALL your needs, and Jesus taught us to pray for "daily bread" because He knows we tend to worry about tomorrow.

Here's the best part: your job isn't to figure everything out—your job is to trust God. His job is to provide!

Let us know what you think - send us a text here!!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thank you so much for listening to your Encouraging
5-Minute Podcast.
Hey, we're Eric and Heather.
Give us five minutes.
We're going to give you alittle encouragement for your
day and if you like what youhear, well, you can listen to
all kinds of encouragement onWPER, virginia's home for
encouragement.
And if you live outside thelistening area, you can always
listen online on your smartspeaker.

(00:22):
Just say hey, smart speaker,play WPER or you can even
download the WPER app.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Guessing that finances may or may not be
weighing heavily on your mindtoday, your heart, the bills
stack up, job looks uncertain oryou're just wondering how
you're going to make it throughthis month.
Well, let's just start bysaying we see you, we feel that
We've been there and, moreimportantly, god sees you.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Money problems are very real, but we want to
encourage you today with thetruth that's even more real.
Your security does not comefrom a paycheck.
It comes from the provider,your provider, Jesus.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
A couple of years ago my friend, jake, unexpectedly
lost his job.
So he and his co-workers wentto work and the building was
closed.
No, notice, nothing.
They're just a sign on the doorthat said business closed.
They're all standing therelooking at each other like, well
, jake had a family to support,a mortgage, barely any savings,
like a lot of us.
And of course he goes home andhe starts doing anything he

(01:21):
could applying for jobs, pickingup side work, but nothing for
like a full-time job opened up.
So one night he was sitting athis kitchen table Maybe you have
been there with big piles ofunpaid bills and Jake just broke
down and he's like God, I don'tknow what to do.
I have literally done everything.
I just need you to show up and,sure enough, very slowly.
God did Not with you know, likea winning lottery ticket, like

(01:43):
we all hope for right.
But God did not knock on hisdoor with an instant solution
either.
What God did was to show upevery day for Jake and his
family, like.
One day a neighbor dropped offa bag of groceries.
They didn't know Jake's fridgewas getting close to empty.
Another day, a friend sent anunexpected check in the mail for
some money he'd borrowed fromJake over a year ago.

(02:03):
Then, out of nowhere, a jobopportunity showed up, one Jake
would have never considered, butone that turned out to be
exactly what he and his familyneeded.
And Jake even told me after hegot this job that turned out to
be such an awesome fit.
He's like I thought God hadforgotten me, but he was there
the whole time, providing for meand my family in ways I didn't
expect.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, maybe that's where you are today, wondering
where God is in all of this asyou struggle.
Can I remind you of something?
God is your provider.
Philippians 4.19 says it my Godwill meet all your needs, not
some of them, all of them,according to his riches and his
glory in Christ Jesus.
Again, not some of your needs,not just when the economy's good

(02:45):
, but all your needs.
Does that mean money's gonnasuddenly rain down from heaven?
Oh, let it be so?
No, no.
But it does mean you're neveralone in the struggle.
God's not blind to yoursituation and he's not
indifferent to your need.
He cares about every bill,every sleepless night, every
anxious thought.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, jesus even taught us to pray.
Give us this our daily breadfor a reason Because, you know,
since Jesus was fully human, heknows we're prone to worry about
tomorrow, about everything.
That's why Jesus invites us totrust him today, and also to
slow down and take our lives oneday at a time, not to worry

(03:24):
about tomorrow, but to know thathe will sustain us every single
day, just like he always has.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
And maybe his provision won't exactly look
like you expect it to.
Maybe it'll come through afriend's generosity, a temporary
opportunity or a door you nevereven considered before.
One thing is certain God isfaithful.
He will provide.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
So, look, just join me right now.
Take a deep breath.
You don't have to figure thisout.
Your job isn't to figure thisout.
Your job is to trust.
God's job is to provide.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
And he's really good at his job.
Yeah, he is the best.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
So can I pray before we go?
Jesus, you know every fear,every financial burden weighing
on the heart of the personlistening right now.
You are our true provider and Ijust ask that you would meet
their needs, open doors thatonly you can open.
Give them peace that passestheir comprehension in this
moment, knowing that you havenot forgotten them.

(04:28):
Remind them, lord, that theirsecurity is not in money, but in
you.
Thank you, lord, for yourmercies.
Amen, honey, you are not alone.
You are held and God is stillin control, even if it feels
like utter chaos.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Hope you feel encouraged.
Thanks for spending fiveminutes with us today.
If this did encourage you,share it with someone who needs
the reminder that God will makea way.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, and you can always listen for more
encouragement to WPER Virginia'shome.
For encouragement Outside thearea, we've got an app Head over
to WPERorg for a direct link todownload it.