When You Question if God Will Provide

Audio By Carbonatix

“I’ve screwed up big time. If You can do anything with my life, please do.”

That was the simple, desperate prayer I whispered in 1989. I was 17, pregnant, and lost. I had dropped out of school. My boyfriend was gone. My friends were moving on. I was stuck—ashamed, hopeless, and convinced my life was over. 

Yet, that prayer marked a turning point. “God, if you can do anything with my life …” It was a prayer of surrender. Hope filled my heart. Peace came.

Then, I opened my Bible, and I dared to believe that God could do something with my life.

Now, the change wasn’t instant. I still messed up. Changed started happening when I dared to believe that God could do something amazing with my life. The truth is, the more I sought God, the more I started to believe He DID care.

Do You Wonder if God Cares?

Have you wondered that? Yes, God’s in charge of galaxies, but maybe… forgot about you?

In the Bible, a woman named Naomi felt it, too. After her husband and sons died, she returned home with nothing but grief and a loyal daughter-in-law. Her voice cracked as she said, “The Lord’s hand has turned against me” (Ruth 1:13b). She didn’t stop believing in God—she just couldn’t see how her story could be redeemed.

And I get that.

Sometimes, we know God exists, but we wonder if He’s still writing good things in our lives.

When Doubt Becomes a Doorway

Here’s what I’ve learned. (And what biblical Naomi learned, too!) Doubt doesn’t disqualify us—it often becomes the doorway to deeper faith.

On the other side of my surrender wasn’t a perfectly cleaned-up life. But it was something better: it was the truth that God DID care for me. God’s providence (provision) wasn’t just cosmic—it’s close.

God wasn’t absent. He was arranging for good to happen in my life.

He wasn’t ignoring me. He was inviting me to trust Him.

Read the book of Ruth, and you’ll see tiny details unfold with divine precision. Ruth just so happened to end up gleaning in Boaz’s field. Boaz just so happened to be a kinsman-redeemer for their family. Then, wait, Naomi just so happened to live long enough to bounce her grandson—Obed, the grandfather of King David—on her knee.

Those aren’t coincidences. That’s providence. And it’s not limited to Bible times.

God’s Provision Is Hidden in Plain Sight

The word providence begins with P-R-O-V-I-D-E. That’s what God does. He provides—in the miraculous and the mundane.

We see this clearly in Ruth’s story. What seemed like a plot twist was actually the setup for redemption. God’s hand was steady even when Naomi felt forgotten.

That encourages me. Because I’ve seen God show up in unexpected ways:

• A friend calling at just the right time.
• A check in the mail when money ran dry.
• A child’s laughter breaking the tension.
• Happening to hear the right story at the right time … which led to my next writing project.

God’s providence doesn’t always come with fireworks. Instead, it shows up in simple ways in our everyday lives if we look for it. If we’re seeking Him, Jesus.

Character Over Credentials

When I gave my life to God, I was a pregnant teen. Many may have wondered, “What can God do with her.” Yet God saw something in me. Just as God saw His good plan in these Bible figures.

• Ruth means “compassionate friend”—and that’s exactly who she was to Naomi.
• Naomi means “pleasant,” though she asked to be called Mara, which means bitter.
• Boaz means “strength”—and not just muscle, but strength of heart, too.
  

More than that, Ruth was a Moabite, an outsider. Yet, she’s the only woman in the entire Bible called eshet chayil—a woman of valor.

By law, Ruth didn’t belong. But God doesn’t build His kingdom on credentials—He builds it on character.

• If Ruth had let doubt define her, she would’ve missed her destiny.
• If Boaz had let legalism lead him, he would’ve missed his bride.
• If Naomi had stayed bitter, she would’ve missed bouncing a miracle on her lap.

Tell Your Story, Even in the Middle

Psalm 107:2 tells us: “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story…” That means you. That means me.

Even if the ending isn’t polished.  Even if you’re still in the waiting. Even if your heart is heavy.

You don’t have to have all the answers to be a witness. You just need the courage to say, “He’s not finished with me yet.”

Your story is your sermon, and someone out there is desperate to hear it. They don’t need perfection—they need real. They need hope. They need a glimpse of redemption in the messy middle.

What Chapter Are You In?

Maybe you’re in the chapter of loss. Maybe you’re in the season of gleaning—showing up and gathering scraps of joy. Maybe you’re nearing redemption, but you can’t see it yet.

Wherever you are, lean in. Remember that God sees the whole story. He knows the ending. And He’s not done.

Let the redeemed say so. And then live like it. God will show up. God will provide. It’s not a “just-so-happened” thing. It’s a provision thing. HIS thing.

Additional Resources

Walk It Out

Whether believers realize it or not, God intended for them to do what the Bible says: adopt the orphan, take the gospel into all the world, and care for the needy. These are mandates that point believers down the path of true living and eternal life.
 
Sometimes those steps are easy, but many times they require a move outside of what feels safe or secure. When women stop focusing on their own dreams and purposes, and instead focus on God’s dreams and purposes, everything changes.

Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer encourages us to trade in our way for God’s, to trust His that His plan is better than anything we could come up with on our own. Get your copy here and get ready to walk out God’s will for your life.

The Daily Bible Podcast

We’re Tricia and Michelle, two friends inviting you to join us in reading through the Bible chronologically this year. Reading the Bible every day can be a challenge. We’re here to summarize each day’s passage and provide action steps … in under 15 minutes.

Grab a buddy and join our community. Take the plunge, and let’s read through the Bible together. We’ll be cheering you on all the way!

You can join us using your own One Year Bible© (if you’d like to purchase one, you can grab your preferred version using the links below). Or you can print up the One Year Chronological Reading Plan. If you don’t have a copy of the One Year Bible©, we will have the exact passages for the next day in the show notes. You can also subscribe to the One Year Chronological Bible Reading plan on the YouVersion Bible App.