Just as Christ is “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end,” at the close of every liturgical year, we look forward with renewed hope to Christ’s coming again in glory to reign as Lord forever. In the same way we look forward to our own resurrection and the time of a new earth — an earth that is no longer broken by sin and groaning. Christ will come again in glory just as surely as He came the first time — when He was born. So we have these three weeks of “transition” at the end of the “long green season” into the Advent Season: the new beginning of the liturgical year.

God has always been like a father for his people. And just like a good father, He gives His children what they want and need. So He tells us to ask Him for everything we need. He encourages us to ask Him for what we need and want, even when we have not been our best selves or when we have been wasteful of what He has given us. He is the Good Father and wants to give us good gifts.

Today we look at His “provision.” There is an absolute, unmistakable connection between love and provision – those of you who are parents know exactly what I mean. The two are inseparably linked. If you truly love someone, you find great joy, satisfaction, and delight in providing for them.

God says that the pure of heart will see Him as He is (Matthew 5:8) and that the pure of heart will know Him and understand Him. God says that the pure of heart will diligently seek Him, and as they seek Him, they will find Him (Proverbs 8:17). So it seems that stewardship is, first and foremost, not about money, time, or talent, but rather stewardship is a matter of where our hearts are before Almighty God, our Father.