God Provides!

By Gene Greeson

Having experienced God’s amazing provisions for more than 50 years, Gene sat down and wrote this book in less than five days. You will be both encouraged and challenged to trust God as you face your own needs for His provision, power, protection, and peace as you read how God has provided for Gene.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669813569

Gene Greeson

Gene Greeson became a Christian at the age of 22 in 1970. Over the 52+ years since, he has seen God provide in countless ways countless times. He and Dori have been involved in prison ministry since 2005 and have been on seventeen short-term mission trips to Africa, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bolivia, and Jamaica. They reside in Largo, Florida and both live to share the good news that Jesus died for all mankind and gives eternal life as a gift to all who believe Him for it.

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Copyright © 2022 by Gene Greeson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Rev. date: 05/12/2022

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 In the Beginning

Chapter 2 Our Awesome God

Chapter 3 The Biblical Admonition to Trust God

Chapter 4 Determine to be a Giver

Chapter 5 Categories of God’s Provision

Chapter 6 Examples from the Bible

Chapter 7 Modern-Day Examples

Chapter 8 Examples from My Own Life

Chapter 9 If God Provides, How Should We Give?

Summary

Gospel Tracts Written by Gene

INTRODUCTION

I ’VE BEEN CHALLENGED by a dear friend, Ric Kinne, to write this book. He tells me that neither he nor any of our other mutual friends can begin to understand how I’ve been able to live the life I have, traveling around the world numerous times when I’ve seldom had over $500 and no real visible financial support.

Perhaps I should clarify. I’m not a jet-setter, nor do I travel continuously, but it is true I have been on the other side of the world fourteen times and out of the country thirty-five times during my seventy-four years. I’m not wealthy by any means, but I do have a father, a Heavenly Father, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and has greater wealth than all of the countries of the world combined.

For the past seventeen-plus years, I’ve been involved in a full-time ministry, but it isn’t a ministry as some would consider it. My ministry is not incorporated, nor is it a 501c3 for tax-deduction purposes. I don’t send letters requesting donations, nor do we ask others to pray about our finances. My wife, Dori, and I firmly believe in these two adages: (1) Where God leads, God provides, and (2) If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.

I hope to answer my friends’ questions in the pages of this book. Hopefully, as you read it you will find that my history is really just His story (Hi(s)tory).

I was raised poor. I was ashamed of this and I didn’t really want others to know. I’ll never forget how embarrassed I was when I volunteered to host our eighth-grade graduation party at our house and only later that evening remembered that everyone would learn that we didn’t even have hot water or an inside bathroom!

The truth is, I was also suicidal. Not a soul knew it, however, as I was very good at hiding it. I was actively involved in sports and worked a lot for farmers, so those activities kept my mind occupied most of the time. Fortunately, I had enough things going for me that I had some self-esteem, but nevertheless, it was low enough that I had no hope for the future. All I could hope for was that we would be at war when I graduated so I would gain the opportunity to go to war and die for my country, thereby providing me an honorable legacy.

I was somewhat of an entrepreneur while in high school as I began raising hogs, and by my senior year, I owned 160-plus hogs. I showed my Hampshire hogs at many county fairs. I was proud of my hog operation and pleased that I learned how to work hard. In fact, I gained some self-respect and joy working for others and giving my best.

I recall how sad I was as I was on the airplane returning from my third and final tour of duty in Vietnam. I was a bit disappointed that I had not died there and now had to face living an average, mediocre life. The thought of that depressed me so.

This isn’t to say that I didn’t have many joyful times growing up. I believe I learned early in life the joy that comes from helping others. I was quick to volunteer to help my uncles, for example, and when I worked for farmers for pay, I considered my work a sport and always gave my best effort. That brought to both of us joy.

My life changed drastically on June 7, 1970, when I was twenty-two. That was the day I learned that God was real and that He loved me. I learned that He was willing to give me eternal life as a gift and I could look forward to spending eternity with Him in heaven someday. Additionally, I learned that He wanted a relationship with me! How could anything in life be better than that?

This book will tell the Hi(s)tory of what He has done in my life since then. Oh, it won’t tell it all. Even my 1,024-page autobiography cannot do that. It will, however, explain how God taught me to trust Him and how I’ve seen His provision for the past fifty years.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

I think it extremely important that I mention when I say God provides, this includes trials as well as the blessings. Oftentimes a trial is exactly what we need for many different possible reasons.

CHAPTER 1

In the Beginning

A S MENTIONED IN the introduction, on June 7, 1970, I received the greatest gift a person could ever receive. I received the gift of eternal life. This happened while I was reading a simple gospel tract titled Am I Going to Heaven? I had pondered that question countless times as I viewed dead bodies or spent lonely nights on guard duty as a soldier in Vietnam. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the subject as I had nothing but questions and didn’t even know that answers existed.

Imagine my delight when I learned that heaven is a gift and I didn’t have to deserve it. Actually, I knew if I did have to deserve it, I was doomed. Oh, I wasn’t the worst guy in the world, but I knew enough about myself to know I couldn’t be accepted into heaven based on my life.

My favorite four Bible verses on this topic are John 5:24, 6:47, Ephesians 2:8–9, and 1 John 5:13. I’ll print them here for you so you don’t need to look them up.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24)

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. (John 6:47)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)

I’ve written more than 300 gospel tracts similar to the one I read that day, and some of them are reproduced in the last section of this book. If you cannot say with assurance that you know you are heaven-bound, I encourage you to read some of them. Actually, you can pause reading right now and go back there. Then come back here later, after you’ve gained assurance that you also are heaven-bound.

Shortly after becoming a believer, I was introduced to the following passage in Matthew 6. These verses changed my life.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21)

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25–34)

I recall being totally amazed at the instruction contained in these verses. These verses told me that God is intricately involved in the affairs of my life. They also told me if I would focus on Jesus and His righteousness, He would focus on meeting my needs.

Lest I run past those verses too quickly, let me encourage you to give serious thought to that last paragraph that gives us the requirements for receiving God’s provision. They are to (1) seek first the kingdom of God, and (2) seek His righteousness. We often get it backward. We spend so much time seeking what we want without giving consideration to what God wants.

Countless people have told me that they’ve prayed and prayed for God’s provisions but nothing seemed to occur. I didn’t see anything about prayer in that verse. Did you? I’m not saying we should not pray, for surely we should. James tells us we do not have because we do not ask, or we ask amiss, thinking only of ourselves (James 4:2–3).

God delights in blessing those who bless Him. It isn’t so much about what we do as it is about how we view Him and seek Him. He knows our motivations and He knows when we are delighting in Him. We should never simply look to God for what we can get. The greatest thing about having a relationship with God is having a relationship with God.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

As I look back over the past fifty-plus years, all I can do is say, Wow! Yes, I’ve been blessed far more than I could ever deserve, but the greatest blessing has been to have a relationship with Him. It’s a blessing beyond description to know Him, and the blessing of simply serving Him is far greater and gives me more joy than anything I could ever receive from Him. The only way to know how true this is, is to experience it.

This book is about receiving God’s provisions. We all want that, and in truth, we all need that. It all begins with receiving God’s forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Once we believe Him for that and become His child and not simply His creation, we enter a whole new realm. That’s when life gets really exciting!

I began experiencing His provisions almost immediately, and I have to admit I’ve grown to expect them. He began providing for me almost immediately in so many ways, and He has never stopped. What does continue to amaze me are the methods He uses. I often think I know how He will provide and He surprises me and does something totally different. His provisions have not simply been of a financial nature. He has met my various needs in countless ways. I’m excited to be able to share. I hope you will read to the end for if you do, you will gain some real insight of how God works, and certainly the numerous ways He has blessed me. Even so, this book contains only a sampling of the numerous instances where He has provided for me.

CHAPTER 2

Our Awesome God

W HEN WE THINK of God’s provision, we often think of finances, but God’s provision doesn’t begin or stop there. We are a needy people living in a broken world and the scope of our needs extends far beyond the financial realm.

One of the first compound names for God that I learned after becoming a Christian was Jehovah-Jireh, which can be translated three ways: The Lord will see, The Lord will provide, or The Lord shall be seen. It is similar to our saying I will see to it. When God sees, He takes care of it, or provides.

We first learn of this in Genesis 22, where God instructs Abraham to offer his son Isaac upon the altar on Mount Moriah. The primary thing in this chapter is not Abraham’s trial but God’s provision for both Abraham and his son, Isaac. If you are not familiar with this event, take the time to read it and be encouraged.

We are told in Romans 10:11 that whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. He enjoys rewarding our faith with His provision. I have also come to believe that He enjoys doing so, often in a manner we least expect! I’ve seen this occur numerous times.

Before I share specific examples of how God has so wonderfully provided for me, I’ll share how He can be such an amazing provider. I’ll begin by listing His attributes. He is indeed a god of wonders! Here are just some of His many attributes:

Omniscience (God is all-knowing)

Omnipotence (God is all-powerful)

Omnipresence (God is everywhere present)

Immutability (God never changes)

Holiness (God is holy)

Righteous (God is always righteous)

Love (God is a god of love)

Mercy (God is a god of mercy)

Justice (God is always just)

Grace (God is a god of grace)

Sovereignty (God is a sovereign god)

Eternality (God has existed for all eternity)

Goodness (God is always good)

Numerous books are written about these attributes, and you would be wise to read at least one of them. The more you know about Him, the more you will understand Him. Many become angry at God simply because they don’t understand Him. Their ignorance fuels their hatred to their own demise. I’m fortunate to be able to say that I’ve never blamed God or become angry with Him. I have recognized that I am the author of my own failures, and the trials that have come my way have only come to help me to grow. As painful as it is, we all need those trials.

As I consider His attributes, I realize it is no wonder that He can meet my every need. Who wouldn’t want as his sidekick a friend with those attributes? Yes, I said a friend. He is a friend indeed, and with Him by my side, whom or what shall I fear? Nothing is impossible with God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20)

In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we read,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

One has but to read chapters 15 and 16 to see what happened to King Asa when he trusted God and, later, when he chose to instead trust others instead of God. It is a sad tale but one that is illustrated by a multitude the world over today.

As I look back over the years and even begin to count the number of times that I have seen God’s provision, I am reminded of numerous Bible verses that have encouraged me on many occasions. These verses might encourage you as well, if you allow them to. Here are some:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32)

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (Psalm 118:8)

But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10)

As a teenager raising hogs on a farm, whenever I would need some money, I would just sell a hog. Now, when I’m in need of finances, I simply ask God to sell some of those cows He has on the thousand hills. Over the years, a lot of cattle have been sold.

Obviously, I could list numerous other verses that have encouraged me over the years. Instead, however, I will address why we might see or fail to see God’s provision at times. I think some Christians have the attitude that God should provide for them simply because they are a child of God and He is their heavenly Father. But just as an earthly father might withhold something from his children in order to get their attention, our heavenly Father might do the same.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)

How often have we heard the phrase God helps those who help themselves! Some even claim that the Bible says this, but they are wrong. In fact, God helps those who are unable to help themselves. He expects those who are able to help themselves to do so. We see the following in 2 Thessalonians 3:10:

If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

The proper balance is We should work as if it all depended on us while trusting God as if it all depends on Him.

CHAPTER 3

The Biblical Admonition

to Trust God

W E CAN TRUST God because of Who He is. Because He possesses the attributes just mentioned, I know that He knows what is best for me. He is not limited in any way, and because I am so confident of His love for me, I know that He will do that which is best. This doesn’t mean, of course, that He won’t allow my life to be taken by terrorists. I’ve often said that no place on earth is dangerous if you are in the will of God and no place is safe if you are out of the will of God. But again, this doesn’t mean that your life won’t be taken.

Stories abound where God has allowed such a thing to occur that much good may come of it. The worst thing possible for the Christian is not that he might be killed while doing God’s will. Stephen, in Acts 7, knew this, for as he was being stoned, he asked God not to hold it against those who were killing him. He knew he was about to enter heaven as he could see heaven open and ready to receive him. He was killed for speaking God’s message, and this was not a bad thing.

Consider also how God mightily used the five missionaries who were speared to death in Ecuador on January 8, 1956. (If you are not familiar with the story, read the book Through the Gates of Splendor or view the movie End of the Spear.) They could have defended themselves with their guns, but their testimony was that they knew where they were going to spend eternity and the natives were not yet saved.

In our life, the trials will come. Notice what James says about them.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2–4)

Paul also tells us to give thanks in everything.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

The reason we can be thankful through the trials and even joyful is because we trust the message of Romans 8:28.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

We can know God is able to use every circumstance of our lives for a positive purpose. With this in mind, we can be thankful and even joyful while in the midst of a trial that would otherwise crush us. Of course, as with many things in the Christian life, we can only do this in God’s strength. He has given us the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, and empower us.

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

How much are we willing to trust God? Are we willing to place ourselves in His care, entrusting not only our eternity to Him but trusting Him for today and tomorrow? Are we willing to say, Not my will, but Yours?

My favorite Bible verse on this topic is Proverbs 16:20. I cannot think of a better verse for living life as I believe everyone desires happiness.

He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

I love both halves of that verse and consider them both very important. Let’s face it—we all want that which is good, and we want happiness. Whenever we find that what we are reaping doesn’t seem good, it might very well be that we are sowing bad seeds and from them reaping bad fruit. We are told in Galatians 6:7 that we will reap according to what we sow. So if I want to reap good, I must sow something that is good. This just makes good sense.

As for the second half of the verse, who doesn’t want happiness? In fact, I believe happiness is the one thing we most want in life. I have asked hundreds, if not thousands, of people what it is that they most would want if God would offer to give them any one thing, and regardless of how they answer, the bottom line is that whatever they tell me is that which they think will make them happy. So in the end, they all admit that happiness is what they most want. I’ve only had one person ever initially answer, Happiness.

In fact, I was asking that question for more than thirty years before someone answered, Happiness. He was a young man sitting on top of a double bunk bed in a very dark jail cell in Jamaica. There were about six men in that cell and I couldn’t see all their faces but I asked the question, and the answer came from about ten feet away, where I could only see the silhouette of a man.

Yes, in reality, what we all want is happiness. We think we know what it will take to make us happy, but we are often wrong about that. Some of the most miserable people on earth are among those who already have what most people think they want. When we trust God, accepting whatever He brings our way as being His will for us, we can find true happiness.

That reminds me of a song by Lawson Bates titled Happiness Is the Lord. You can listen to it on YouTube.com. I would include the lyrics here but had difficulty attempting to discover who owns the copyright so I could obtain the rights to print the lyrics here.

While I don’t agree entirely with all the theology in the song, I think the overall message is correct. We can endure anything and still experience happiness if our trust is in our Lord.

We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith. (Faith and trust are essentially the same.) We can talk about having faith all we want, but God knows our every thought and He knows if we are trusting Him or not.

To illustrate how God must feel about us when we trust Him, I’ll use a father-and-son illustration. How would you feel if you were a father whose son has just asked you for something that he really wants? In fact, he wants it so much he can hardly contain himself. He asks you and even pleads with you but your answer is no. You explain that you don’t believe it will be best for him and therefore cannot give it to him. Even though he is obviously disappointed, he lovingly looks up at you and says, OK, Daddy, I understand. I’ll trust you. You don’t need to answer my question, for I already know your answer. Don’t you think that God feels the same way when you accept His no? I believe Job had that same attitude toward God when he said, Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him (Job 13:15).

I used to tell my children that they could ask me for anything as long as they were willing to accept no for an answer. If I’m not allowed to say no, I cannot consider the question.

Yes, we are to trust God, knowing that He knows best. He is not limited in any way and can always provide whatever is best for us, and He, of course, knows what is best!

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:1–4)

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:16–17)

When we receive from God, we should remember to thank Him, for He is the source of every good gift. Many pride-filled people fail to recognize this.

Here’s a short story about a farmer and his horse whose author is unknown that gives us something to consider as we contemplate God’s provision. We shouldn’t be so quick to call an event bad.

One day his horse runs away. And his neighbor comes over and says, to commiserate, I’m so sorry about your horse. And the farmer says, Who knows what’s good or bad? The neighbor is confused because this is clearly terrible. The horse is the most valuable thing he owns.

But the horse comes back the next day, and he brings with him twelve feral horses. The neighbor comes back over to celebrate: Congratulations on your great fortune! And the farmer replies again, Who knows what’s good or bad?

And the next day, the farmer’s son is taming one of the wild horses and he’s thrown and breaks his leg. The neighbor comes back over. I’m so sorry about your son. The farmer repeats, Who knows what’s good or bad?

Sure enough, the next day the army comes through their village and is conscripting able-bodied young men to fight in war, but the son is spared because of his broken leg.

(The story goes on and on but you get the point.)

Let’s be thankful for whatever is our lot in life and allow God to use everything for His glory.

CHAPTER 4

Determine to be a Giver

I ALMOST FAILED TO include this chapter as I hurried to complete this book in five days. However, throughout my writing, I had this nagging feeling that I should include it.

I observed years ago that in this world everyone seems to fall into one of two categories, of being a giver or a taker. There are a lot more takers than givers. In fact, it seems there are really very few givers. After continuing to observe people, I added a third category. These are people who are neither givers nor takers but hoarders.

Hoarders don’t look to see what they can take from others. But even though they may be wealthy compared to the majority, neither do they give much, if any. Oh, they may give a pittance here and there so they appear to be givers, but they are really just hoarders.

I’ve since added yet another category of people—doers. Doers may or may not have much to give, but one thing they can and do give is themselves. They continually make themselves available to assist others, and they do it with pure joy.

I know a few (very few) who are both givers and doers. That’s what I aspire to be, and I believe my friends would see me as such. I have absolutely no doubt that the person who is both a giver and a doer is the happiest.

In 1977, while attending a motivational rally in Chicago, I first heard Zig Ziglar say,

You can get everything you want in life if you help enough others get what they want.

I recognized this to be comparable to what Jesus said, as quoted in Luke 6.

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)

I’ve learned that givers especially love to give to givers because many givers seldom receive anything from others. I’m confident that God blesses those who give.

Many people who want to receive from God seldom think about how or what they can give. They may complain that they don’t have any money. They do, however, have the same allotment of twenty-four hours in a day, just as the rest of us, yet they spend little or no time thinking about what they can do for others. They remind me of Proverbs 30:15: The leech has two daughters—

Give and Give!

It amazes me how many cannot find the time to help others or God, but they can to spend twenty hours or more per week watching television.

CHAPTER 5

Categories of God’s Provision

M OST CHRISTIANS READILY agree we are thankful for God’s grace. We have understood that God’s grace and mercy provided salvation (eternal life) for us. Grace gave us what we do not deserve (God’s forgiveness), and His mercy withheld judgment, something we do deserve.

I find, however, in talking with fellow believers that most do not understand the role God’s grace plays in our daily lives after we are saved. They have not understood how desperately we need His grace every hour.

In looking over the fifty-plus years of my own Christian life, I’ve noticed four primary areas where God’s grace has been so beneficial to me. They are

• God’s provision

• God’s power

• God’s peace

• God’s protection

I could add God’s presence since He is ever present and it is through His presence that we experience these four.

As you continue to read, you will come to realize, if you don’t already, that each of these areas is so important. Many of the wealthiest people in the world are among its most miserable. Many who have excelled in an area and achieved great success in man’s eyes have fallen into despair in their personal lives because they’ve not known God’s blessings in these areas. We all need God, and without Him, everything is vanity. Take the time to read the Bible book of Ecclesiastes and you will see what I mean.

Each is important and vast in its scope. Let’s briefly examine each of these areas.

God’s Provision

As already mentioned, God is not limited in any way as to what or how He may meet our needs. The answer isn’t always money. For example, if you find yourself stranded on a remote desert road, it won’t help you at all if you have $500 in your wallet. Money also won’t help you deal with the sudden loss of a loved one. God knows what we need, and He can provide that.

I know