God’s Provision
Commonplace –
“The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3).
The subject of Proverbs 10:3 is God, and the focus is on His provision for the righteous and the wicked. The soul of the righteous will be fed, but the material gain of the wicked will be thrown out. Each outcome relates to the specific loves of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous apply themselves to eternal things, so their reward is eternal, centered on their soul being nourished. While the wicked apply themselves to material things, so their outcome is related to what happens to those material, earthly things they hold dear, which will be tossed out.
Since it’s Christmas time, this verse turns my mind to Charles Dickens’ tale, A Christmas Carol . When Scrooge is given a peek into his future, one of the scenes he observes is his clothing being bartered away. We observe something similar when someone passes away. Their things are divided: some are thrown out, some are sold, and the rest are given away. None of these things have an eternal aspect, and, eventually, all those things come to nothing. So, why do we spend so much time accumulating things that profit us nothing? Well, some of it we need while we are here: clothes, houses, cars, etc. The crucial point is not to impart more meaning and significance into those things. Otherwise, we risk turning them into gods.
Cross References from Biblehub.com
Psalm 34:10
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Matthew 6:31-33
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ / For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. / But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
Psalm 37:25
I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Luke 12:22-24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. / For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. / Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Psalm 145:15-16
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. / You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Psalm 37:19
In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
Psalm 111:5
He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Psalm 132:15
I will bless her with abundant provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Works Cited
“Proverbs 10:3”. Biblehub.com. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/10-3.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 12 Dec 2025.
Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:3.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.
Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.
© 2025 Angela Hormberg
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