Trusting God in a Financial Squeeze
Feeling the financial squeeze and wondering how it’s all going to work out? In this episode, discover how God’s character as Provider doesn’t change, even when your numbers don’t add up, and every spreadsheet says, “This won’t work.”
Have you ever sat at the kitchen table with a stack of bills, a sinking feeling in your stomach, and a calculator that refuses to land on a peaceful number?
The paycheck comes in and goes right back out. Groceries cost more. Rent or the mortgage feels heavier. A surprise bill shows up in the mailbox, and suddenly your chest feels tight. Maybe you’ve tried to be faithful, tithing, giving when you can, working hard, cutting back, and still, the numbers don’t make sense. You find yourself asking, “Lord, are You really going to provide for us?”
In this episode, Bart shares the story of David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, who started his small family business in Oklahoma with a $600 loan. For a while, things grew. But then came high interest rates, slow sales, and mounting bills. The company found itself on the edge of collapse. Advisers told David to cut back on giving and do whatever it took to protect the bottom line. His family had always tithed and tried to honor God, but now the math didn’t work. In that moment, he had to answer a hard question: will we still trust God as Provider when every spreadsheet is shouting, “You can’t afford this”?
Through this story and the promise of Philippians 4:19, you’ll be reminded that God’s ability to provide for you is not tied to the strength of the economy, the size of your paycheck, or the neatness of your budget. It’s rooted in who He is.
Philippians 4:19 (NLT) says:
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Paul wrote those words to believers who had been generous to him, even when they didn’t have much. He wasn’t handing them a slogan; he was anchoring them in God’s character. “This same God”, the One who had sustained Paul through prison, hunger, hardship, and uncertainty, “will supply all your needs.”
That doesn’t mean God always makes the math comfortable or that if you give, you’ll suddenly get rich. It does mean that He sees what you’re facing. He knows what you truly need. And He has promised to meet those needs out of His “glorious riches” in Christ, not out of your limited resources.
Bart talks about how, in the middle of intense financial pressure, David and his family chose not to pull back on generosity or abandon their convictions. Instead, they kept honoring God, caring well for employees, and trusting Him with the outcome. The turnaround wasn’t instant, but over time, sales recovered, debts were paid, and Hobby Lobby grew from a garage start-up into a nationwide chain. Looking back, David Green says the lesson isn’t “give and you’ll get rich,” but that God’s character as Provider doesn’t change when cash flow is tight. When the numbers didn’t add up, he leaned on Philippians 4:19.
You may not be running a national company, but you might be staring at your own “spreadsheet” today, a bank account that feels too small, bills that feel too big, and a heart caught between fear and faith. Maybe you’re tempted to pull back on everything that feels spiritual or generous, to go into survival mode and rely only on what you can see.
This episode will encourage you to bring your real numbers and your real fears to God. You’ll be reminded that trusting Him as Provider doesn’t mean ignoring wisdom or pretending money doesn’t matter. It means doing what you can, working, planning, cutting where you need to, and then placing the weight of your confidence not on your calculations, but on His character.
Main Scripture:
Philippians 4:19 (NLT) –
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
By the end of this episode, you’ll be reminded:
- That God’s faithfulness is not fragile; it doesn’t rise and fall with your bank balance.
- That “needs” may look different than “wants,” but God is committed to both your good and His glory.
- That financial pressure can become a place where your trust in God deepens, not just where your anxiety grows.
- That you are invited to live wisely and generously, even in tight seasons, believing that your Provider has not changed.
Today’s Challenge:
At some point today, write down one specific financial need that is weighing on you the most right now. It could be a bill, a debt, a tuition payment, a rent increase, whatever is at the front of your mind.
Right beneath it, write Philippians 4:19:
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Then turn that into a simple prayer:
“Lord, You see this need. I’m trusting You to meet it in Your way and in Your time. Show me what faithfulness looks like, and help me rest in who You are, not in what I can see.”
Put that note somewhere you’ll see it, a wallet, a fridge, a desk, and let it become a reminder that your life is not held up by numbers alone, but by a faithful Provider.
Encouraged by today’s devotion?
Share this episode with someone who is feeling the financial squeeze and needs to know they’re not alone in it. Your message might be the reminder they need that God hasn’t forgotten them.
https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/135
And if this podcast has helped you, please follow and leave a review. It helps others find the same encouragement.
https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/reviews/new/
Want to keep these devotions coming? Please consider supporting this podcast.
https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/
Connect with Bart
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives
Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com
Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to the Newsletter
If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.
Track 1 00:00:01
A small family business in Oklahoma found itself on the
Track 1 00:00:04
edge of collapse. David Green started Hobby Lobby with a $600
Track 1 00:00:10
loan, but then high interest rates, slow sales, and mounting
Track 1 00:00:14
bills put him in a serious financial squeeze. Advisors tell
Track 1 00:00:18
him to cut back on giving and do whatever it takes to protect the
Track 1 00:00:21
bottom line. His family has always tithed and to honor God,
Track 1 00:00:25
but now the math doesn't spreadsheet says, "You can't
Track 1 00:00:35
afford this."
Track 1 00:00:38
Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and
Track 1 00:00:43
today we're talking about trusting God when your finances
Track 1 00:00:46
feel tight, and your bills feel out of reach, and the numbers on
Track 1 00:00:52
the page just aren't cooperating. Maybe you're in a season where
Track 1 00:00:57
every time you open your banking app, your stomach tightens a
Track 1 00:01:00
little. You've cut back and you've tried to be wise, and yet
Track 1 00:01:03
you still wonder, "Is God really going to come through for us?"
Exodus 4 00:01:08
19 says, "And this same God who takes care of me
Exodus 4 00:01:13
will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have
Exodus 4 00:01:17
been given to us in Christ Jesus." Paul wrote that verse to
Exodus 4 00:01:22
a group of believers who had been generous to him, even when
Exodus 4 00:01:26
they didn't have a lot. He wasn't sending them a
Exodus 4 00:01:29
fundraising slogan. He was reminding them of something
Exodus 4 00:01:31
solid about God's character. This same God, the One who had
Exodus 4 00:01:36
taken care of Paul in prison and on the road through hardship and
Exodus 4 00:01:39
hunger, will supply all your needs. And that word "needs"
Exodus 4 00:01:45
matters. It doesn't say all your wishes or all our comparisons or
Exodus 4 00:01:50
all the lifestyle upgrades we'd love to have. He's talking about
Exodus 4 00:01:56
daily bread, what's absolutely necessary. And Paul anchors that
Exodus 4 00:01:58
promise not in the strength of the Philippians budget, but in
Exodus 4 00:01:58
his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. In other words, God's
Exodus 4 00:01:58
ability to provide for you doesn't depend on how strong the
Exodus 4 00:01:58
economy is or how big your paycheck is. Paul anchors that
Exodus 4 00:02:00
promise not in the strength of the Philippians budget, but in
Exodus 4 00:02:04
his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. In other words, God's
Exodus 4 00:02:09
ability to provide for you doesn't depend on how strong the
Exodus 4 00:02:11
economy is or how big your paycheck is. It depends on who
Exodus 4 00:02:16
he is. Now, that doesn't mean we throw away wisdom. Scripture
Exodus 4 00:02:21
also talks about working diligently and planning wisely,
Exodus 4 00:02:24
and it also talks about avoiding unnecessary debt. Trusting God
Exodus 4 00:02:29
as provider doesn't mean we ignore budgets or common sense,
Exodus 4 00:02:33
but it does mean this. When you've done what you can do,
Exodus 4 00:02:36
you've worked and you've planned, you've cut back, and you've been
Exodus 4 00:02:38
as faithful as you know how, your hope is not in the
Exodus 4 00:02:41
spreadsheet. It's in the God behind it. Maybe right now
Exodus 4 00:02:45
you're in a squeeze. Groceries cost more. The rent or the
Exodus 4 00:02:49
mortgage is going up because your insurance increases. A
Exodus 4 00:02:53
surprise bill landed in your mailbox, and you don't see how
Exodus 4 00:02:56
it all fits. Maybe, like David Green, you've tried to honor God.
Exodus 4 00:03:01
You've been tithing. You've been generous. You're doing the right
Exodus 4 00:03:05
things, and now you're staring at numbers that don't line up,
Exodus 4 00:03:08
and you're tempted to pull back in fear. In those moments,
Exodus 4 00:03:12
Philippians 4.19 is not a promise that God will always
Exodus 4 00:03:15
make the math look comfortable, but it is a promise that he sees
Exodus 4 00:03:19
and he knows, and that he will supply what you really need as
Exodus 4 00:03:23
you trust him. Sometimes that provision looks like unexpected
Exodus 4 00:03:27
income. Sometimes it looks like an expense going down. In other
Exodus 4 00:03:32
times, it looks like the wisdom to make a hard cut or the
Exodus 4 00:03:35
contentment to live with less than you imagined. Instead of
Exodus 4 00:03:49
pulling back on generosity, David and his family chose to
Exodus 4 00:03:52
keep honoring God, caring well for their employees, and they
Exodus 4 00:03:57
trusted him with the outcome. The turnaround wasn't instant,
Exodus 4 00:04:01
but over time, sales recovered, and debts were paid. And Hobby
Exodus 4 00:04:05
Lobby grew from that garage startup into a nationwide chain.
Exodus 4 00:04:09
Green says the lesson isn't give and you'll get rich. But that
Exodus 4 00:04:14
God's character as provider doesn't change when cash flow's
Exodus 4 00:04:17
tight. When the numbers didn't add up, he leaned on Philippians
Exodus 4 00:04:20
4.19. That same God who takes care of me will supply all your
Exodus 4 00:04:25
needs from his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. You may not be
Exodus 4 00:04:29
running a national chain, but you might be sitting at your
Exodus 4 00:04:32
kitchen table with a stack of bills asking the same question.
Exodus 4 00:04:35
Lord, can I really trust you with this? Do you see what we're
Exodus 4 00:04:40
facing? If that's where you are, I want to encourage you to do
Exodus 4 00:04:45
two things. First, be honest with God. Tell him exactly
Exodus 4 00:04:48
what's on your heart. The fear and the pressure. The bills that
Exodus 4 00:04:53
are weighing so heavily on you. He already knows about it. But
Exodus 4 00:04:57
there's something powerful about laying those needs before him by
Exodus 4 00:05:00
name. Secondly, ask him, what does faithfulness like for me
Exodus 4 00:05:05
right now? mean keeping a commitment to give, even if it's
Exodus 4 00:05:10
smaller than you wish it could be. It might mean having a
Exodus 4 00:05:13
humble conversation about your spending. It could mean
Exodus 4 00:05:16
accepting help you'd rather not accept. Trust isn't passive.
Exodus 4 00:05:21
It's choosing to walk in obedience with the light you
Exodus 4 00:05:24
have while believing that God is the one who ultimately provides.
Exodus 4 00:05:28
Here's today's challenge. At some point today, take a piece
Exodus 4 00:05:31
of paper, or it could be the notes app on your phone, and
Exodus 4 00:05:35
write down one financial need that's weighing on you most
Exodus 4 00:05:37
right now. Then, right underneath it, write Philippians
Exodus 4 00:05:43
4.19, And this same God, who takes care of me, will supply
Exodus 4 00:05:47
all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to
Exodus 4 00:05:51
us in Christ Jesus. And then, turn that specific need into a
Exodus 4 00:05:55
simple prayer. Lord, I'm trusting you to meet this need
Exodus 4 00:05:58
in your way, in your time. Show me what step you want me to take,
Exodus 4 00:06:03
and help me rest in who you are. Lord, you see every bill, every
Exodus 4 00:06:08
budget, and you see every heart that feels squeezed and afraid.
Exodus 4 00:06:12
Thank you that your character as provider doesn't change, even
Exodus 4 00:06:16
when our numbers don't add up. Help us to be wise and faithful,
Exodus 4 00:06:20
and at the same time to trust you more than we trust our
Exodus 4 00:06:23
spreadsheets. Strengthen our hearts to believe that you will
Exodus 4 00:06:26
supply what we truly need. In Jesus' name, amen. If this
Exodus 4 00:06:33
episode has encouraged you, chances are it'll encourage
Exodus 4 00:06:35
someone else who's feeling pressure right now. Please,
Exodus 4 00:06:39
share it with a friend or loved one today. Just copy the link in
Exodus 4 00:06:42
the show notes and send it their way. You never know how much
Exodus 4 00:06:45
they might need it. Thanks for helping me spread the word. It
Exodus 4 00:06:49
really does mean a lot to me. Thanks for joining me today on
Exodus 4 00:06:53
Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. Remember, your circumstances may
Exodus 4 00:06:57
shift, but God's character as provider never does. Come back
Exodus 4 00:07:01
next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in
Exodus 4 00:07:05
God's truth. Until then, God bless, and have a great day.
