Not Enough

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Growing up, what’s one practical lesson you learned about money?

• Who do you usually approach when you need advice or help? Why? 

• Recall a recent difficult situation you’ve gone through, where you know you couldn’t rely on your own strength. What happened?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋.” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟴:𝟯

(Read also 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟴:𝟭–𝟮, 𝟰–𝟲.)

At some point, we all face seasons when we don’t have enough—whether in our needs, resources, or circumstances. Following God doesn’t mean we are exempt from this. God’s people had to trust Him daily for provision, especially in the wilderness. In this passage, God was speaking through Moses to the next generation of Israelites after they had spent years in the wilderness. He reminded them that even those difficult seasons had purpose. Let’s look at how God, in His sovereignty, can use seasons of lack in our lives.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀.

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵.” 

𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟴:𝟮

God sovereignly allowed the wilderness season to reveal what was in the hearts of His people. When resources are limited, our priorities and attitudes often surface more clearly. Do we continue to trust and obey God? Or do we rely only on ourselves? Seasons of lack can expose pride, fear, or misplaced priorities—but they can also deepen humility and faith. Share a lesson you learned when you felt you didn’t have enough.

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗺.

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴.” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟴:𝟯–𝟰

God provided manna daily for the Israelites, reminding them that their survival did not come from bread alone but from His word and faithfulness. Even their clothes did not wear out during their forty years in the wilderness. More than provision, these miracles showed God’s character: faithfulness to His people and His promises. Seasons of lack remind us that everything ultimately comes from Him. When resources feel limited, who do you depend on the most?

𝟯. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆.

“𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟴:𝟱

God compared His discipline to that of a father. A father provides for, but also disciplines, his children. He cares enough to want his children to mature and grow in the right path. This is not to say that lack is always a “discipline.” However, God can use difficult seasons to remind us that we belong to Him. These are not signs of God’s rejection but that He accepts and treats us as His children. Knowing God as a loving Father helps us see hardship through a different lens. How has a difficult season helped you see and understand God as your Father?

In Deuteronomy 8:1, 6, God reminded His people that even when resources felt uncertain, they are commanded to walk in His ways and fear Him. Seasons of lack are difficult, but are often the place where God forms deeper trust and confidence in Him. In times like these, may we trust God fully and walk in His ways, knowing that He is with us and that He is faithful. Ultimately, Jesus is the true provision we need; He is the Word who gives us life beyond our circumstances.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• What might God be revealing about your heart in seasons of lack? Bring it to God humbly and honestly. Ask what He might be telling you to change.

• When you feel like you don’t have enough, to whom do you usually turn for security? If it’s not God, what is one practical way you can intentionally put Him first and grow in trusting Him?

• How does knowing you are God’s child change how you view your situation? Who is one person you can encourage this week who may be experiencing lack, and how can you remind him/her of God’s faithfulness?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for being a faithful Father and provider even when circumstances feel uncertain. 

• Ask God for humility and wisdom to understand what He may be teaching in seasons of lack. Pray that you will respond in ways that honor Him and show your trust in Him. 

• Pray for opportunities to be a blessing and channel of God’s grace even in times of need. Pray for God to use you to remind others that He is a faithful Father.