Provider

"Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there." -Ruth 1.1-2.

During the time of the Judges there is a famine in the Promised Land. The people have strayed from God and as such have removed themselves from his blessing. There is a man named Elimelech who had a family in Bethlehem. In order to provide for them during the famine he takes his family and goes to the neighboring Moab.

A man must provide for his family, that is part of the responsibility that God entrusts a man with when he is given a family. This is not to say that men are the only ones who can provide, and that women are unable to or should not, the book of Ruth shows that it is not the case. But a man who has been blessed with a family, has the responsibility to provide for that family. Elimelech does what he must, and moves his family to a new place, hoping to take care of them there.

Sometimes providing means doing something undesirable. It might mean working outside of your passion and calling for a time. However, your greatest calling is to take care of your family. Only you can be a husband to your wife and a father to your children. What you do for a living is not what defines you. You make your living with your job, but your job is not essentially who you are.

Men, are you providing? Are you doing whatever you can to take care of your family? You might be out of work, but doing everything you can to find a job is doing what you are able to provide. If God has blessed you with a family, take care of them, don't live selfishly, refusing to work because you can't do what you want.

When I was single I was able to be somewhat picky about my job. I was the only one I was responsible for, and so I had the luxury of choosing. When I got married, that luxury decreased, and as our family grows it will probably disappear. A man cannot afford to live selfishly, least of all when he has a family that God has entrusted to his care.

Let us be men who take our responsibility seriously. Let us be men who provide.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor