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Trusting God for our financial needs feels very real when life gets tight. Hi, I'm Rob West. But long before budgets or savings accounts existed, one man stood on a mountain believing that God could provide even in the most impossible circumstances. Today we'll explore the story that gave God the name the Lord Will Provide and what it teaches us about faith and his provision as stewards. Then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000.
This is Faith and Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. Trusting God's provision rarely happens in comfort. It's forged in seasons when resources feel thin and the future looks uncertain. Scripture doesn't hide that reality. God's people learned His faithfulness not while sitting at feasts, but while wandering through deserts, facing famine and staring down impossible situations.
When the pressures of life rise, whether it's shrinking savings, volatile markets, or rising costs, we discover that provision isn't merely about resources. It's about a relationship with a God who sees, knows, and cares. And that's the point. God is not simply someone who provides, he is the provider. But biblical faith isn't naive optimism, and it isn't passivity.
Faith rests in God's character, moves forward in obedience, and trusts Him with the outcome. One of the clearest pictures of God's provision is in Genesis 22, when Abraham is asked to offer Isaac. It's a shocking command, and we're meant to feel the weight of it. Isaac is the son of promise, the one through whom God said he would build a nation as numerous as the stars. Without Isaac, the covenant collapses, and yet Abraham obeys.
Early in the story, we see Abraham's faith in God's provision. Before climbing the mountain, he tells the servants, Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship. Then we'll come back to you. That's Genesis 22, verse 5.
Abraham doesn't say, I will return, but we will return. The author of Hebrews explains this logic. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead. And so, in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. In other words, Abraham trusted that God's promise was more certain than the circumstances he could see.
And when Abraham raised the knife, God intervened. Not earlier, not before the climb, not at the bottom of the mountain, but at the exact moment obedience and trust intersected. It's there that Abraham names God the Lord will provide. To say God provides isn't to say He always provides in the way we expect. It's to say His character is generous, attentive, and faithful.
He knows our needs before we ask, and He meets them according to His wisdom, not our timeline. That shifts how we think about financial provision. It doesn't mean we neglect work, savings, or prudence. Scripture commends working hard. The hand of the diligent makes rich and warns against laziness.
Poverty will come upon you like a robber. But diligence and provision are not the same thing. We work, but God provides the harvest. Modern financial fear often comes from trying to secure every possible outcome. Faith doesn't ignore risk, but it refuses to worship security.
In fact, the great enemy of faith isn't need, it's self-reliance. When we believe we are our own providers, we shoulder a burden we were never designed to carry. Paul addresses this when he writes, My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. Notice both the scale and the source, according to his riches, not according to our earnings, credentials, or planning. Our responsibility is to be faithful.
God's is to provide. When we believe God provides, when we really believe it, three things begin to change. First, we can plan without panic. Wisdom plans for the future, but planning becomes idolatry when it tries to eliminate dependence. Second, we can give without fear.
Generosity flows from security in God's provision. If we believe God replenishes, we can release. Like missionary Hudson Taylor famously said, God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply. And third, we can endure seasons of scarcity with hope. Lean seasons can feel discouraging, but they aren't wasted.
God meets us there, reminding us that our security rests in him. Abraham learned something on that mountain, not just that God provides, but who God is. Provision in scripture is relational. God provides so his people know him and so the watching world sees his faithfulness. But faith in God's provision doesn't mean we stop budgeting, earning, giving, or stewarding.
It means we do those things without fear controlling the narrative. It means our confidence shifts from financial circumstances to God's character. All right, your calls are next: 800-525-7000. We'll be right back. What if your money struggles aren't really about money at all, but about what your heart treasures most?
That's the focus of Our Ultimate Treasure, a 21-day devotional written by Rob West. Through daily readings grounded in scripture, he invites you to discover the freedom that comes when God, not money, becomes your source of peace, security, and joy. You can pick up your copy or place a bulk order at faithfi.com and click shop. We are grateful for support from Timothy Plan. Since 1994, Timothy Plan has shared good news with investors and advisors by offering faith-honoring mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.
More information is at TimothyPlan.com. The investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses are contained in the prospectus and summary prospectus available at TimothyPlan.com. Mutual funds distributed by Timothy Partners Limited and ETFs distributed by Forside Funds Services LLC. Investing involves risks, including possible loss of principal. Uh Yeah.
I'm so glad you joined us today on Faith and Finance. Whatever your questions are today, anything in your financial life, we've got lines open. You can call right now, 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. Our team is standing by.
Let's begin today in Grand Rapids, and we will talk to Timothy. Go right ahead. Hi there, how are you? Doing great, thanks for your call. Yeah.
Hey, thanks for taking my call. I wanted the call because I have some questions about how best to have a conversation with my parents. My dad is a retired pastor of twenty five years. has for the past couple of years been doing some side things to try to earn some income, but they're thinking about retirement. Based on conversations I've had with them, with my dad especially, I'm just not sure that they're quite ready for.
retirement and the sort of self-sufficient kind of requirements of that.
So I guess just looking for some wisdom on how to approach like having a conversation with them uh to learn more about their situation um and try to encourage them in a good direction. As they consider these next steps in life. Yeah, I love that. You know, retirement conversations with parents are often less about money and more about just independence and trust. But then certainly they include the financial side as well.
And so I think the mindset here is not to correct or control, but really to support and prepare. And I think it can start with just asking permission, something like, Dad, as you get closer to retirement, I'd love to understand what your plan looks like so I can be helpful if you ever need anything. Focus on questions, not advice. But the big four pillars to the extent he opens that door are first around income, second, debt. Third, what is the health care plan going to look like?
And then fourth would be lifestyle expectations. And really, it starts with preparing that budget just to make sure that whatever that monthly lifestyle spending need will look like, there's a plan there for income to cover it. And if there's not guaranteed income, then what is the plan to make up that gap? Is it working longer or part-time? Is it delaying retirement?
There are options, but it starts first with clarity. and understanding. And whether that's you or offering to provide a third party, I think it's important to help him see the reality of the situation. If you take that posture, hopefully that will be received very well. But give me any other thoughts or follow-up questions you have.
Yes, thanks so much. The question that I had in addition was about Social Security. My father has begun to take Social Security after he retired as a pastor, but is still working kind of on the side. And I guess ultimately the question is Should I discourage him from continuing to take Social Security? Um because my again, my understanding is that The longer you d defer Social Security, the larger that amount of money once you retire.
But I I don't know now that he's begun taking it how that impacts things. Yeah. How long ago did he start uh taking it? I believe about a year ago.
Okay. Do you know if it's been over a year or is it could it be right at it? I do not know.
Okay, yeah.
So that is going to be a key factor there, just in terms of what his options are. Because the Social Security Administration does allow you to make some changes, but it depends on how long you've been receiving benefits.
So option one is you can pay it back.
So, this is only allowed within 12 months of starting benefits, but essentially, you repay everything that you've received.
Now, some people may not be in a position to do that, but it is an option, and it's treated like you never filed. If it's been over a year, there is a suspension of benefits option. No payment is required, you just suspend once you reach full retirement age, typically 67 or thereabouts, and then payments stop, and your benefit starts growing with delayed retirement credits, which can go all the way up to age 70. And then at that point, they would automatically restart at age 70 if you don't restart them earlier. And for that suspension period, that check would be increasing by 8% a year.
So, for somebody that has not saved enough, this can really be a great strategy because it helps to get that check up higher, which can be the difference in him balancing the budget.
So that would be something he could certainly take a look at. Yeah, that makes sense. I I appreciate you laying out those options. Yeah, excellent.
Well, I love what you're doing here as you kind of lean into this. I think getting him with your advisor was a great move. Perhaps that could continue. I think the next step, if he hasn't done it already, would be to look at the income side: namely, is there an opportunity to suspend Social Security, especially if he were to add some work, maybe even beyond what he's doing now. And then I think the second thing is just really dial into what is that retirement budget going to look like, and that way you can have a real clarity around how much income he's going to need.
Hey, thanks for calling, Timothy. I appreciate you being on the program today. 800-525-7000 is the number to call to Oklahoma. Hi, Larry. Go ahead, sir.
Hey, Rob, thanks for taking my call. Yes, sir. I have a nonprofit property I'm wanting to sell and give it and I'm going to give it, of course, to another nonprofit lawyer, a three hundred one C three. Is there any forms or anything I need to do, or is that taken care of at the closing of the sale? I'm pretty green when it comes to stuff like this right here.
Yeah, no problem. Help me with something, though. You said you understand you want to sell it and give it the proceeds or give the property before the sale to a nonprofit. We could talk about that. But you said it's already a non-profit property.
What do you mean by that? Yes, it's basically it's the nonprofit that has went basically just dried up and but the property and the buildings are there. I'm going to sell that and take the proceeds and give it to a five hundred one C three organization.
Okay. All right.
So that so it belongs essentially to the the nonprofit that you already had, and you're closing that down, is that right?
Well, it's already closed down, yes, sir.
Okay, got it. Yeah, makes sense. Yeah, that's an interesting one. I would certainly talk to your CPA about that, you know, because it's a little different in that it's already, you know, owned by a 501c3 under the IRS.
So, you know, it's going to need to be sold, you know, at a market value to avoid what's called private inurement. But I think in this case, you know, it's less of an issue because you're wanting to give it away. Do you know of a nonprofit who will take the property itself or are you wanting to get it sold first? um you know, under the the nonprofit and then just give the proceeds.
Well, the church I'm wanting to give the proceeds to is a 501c3. And you know, because I haven't I'm still just doing the legwork on all this right here. And like I said, I'm pretty green, but I've been doing a lot of research and trying to make sure I do all the right things, you know. Yes, yeah, but that the the where it's going to go was already a 501c3. Yeah.
And have you talked to the church about that to let them know that you want that to come their way? Yes.
Well, I'm facing two, but like I said, I want to get my ducks in a row before I actually announce it, you know. Got it. Yeah, got it. Yeah, so normally what would happen is the nonprofits board would approve the dissolution. Maybe that's already happened.
And then the transfer of the property to the church.
So you would want to have a board meeting. You document the decision in the minutes and then pass a resolution. This sounds more formal than it is, specifying the property transfer aligns with the mission. And then you could reach out to the church and let them know that that decision had been made by the nonprofits board, and they can help you facilitate that direct transfer of that donated property that's being donated to the church via a deed transfer. You'd want to hire a real estate attorney to help you with that.
So I think those are the steps. I've got to hit a break. Stay on the line. We'll finish up off the air. We'll be right back.
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We're taking your calls and questions. The number 800-525-7000. It's 800-525-7000. All right, back to the phones to Florida. Steve, go ahead.
Hey, I'm just getting ready to turn sixty, and I think you get that eight percent if you wait longer to retire. And I just want to get some advice on you know, I have a four hundred one K, I have some Investments, and I just want to know what I need to do for the next seven years to really prepare for a sound retirement so that I'm not having to make more difficult decisions. Yeah, I mean, I think this is the right question to ask here, Steve. And really, it starts with: what is your financial finish line? And that's a function of your lifestyle.
And so, once you answer the question, how much is enough for my lifestyle? And I can't tell you that answer, only you can make that decision, you know, in conversation with the Lord. And it may be, you know, as simple as, listen, our finish line is right where we're at right now.
So, in terms of what our monthly spending is, that's typically the way people think. This is enough. And even if I were to get raises over the next seven years, you know, this is that number. Or, no, we're not quite there yet, but we can see that finish line. But once you define enough for your lifestyle, then it just becomes a math equation, you know, for you to determine how much you need in order to fund that.
You know, so let's say that was $75,000 a year.
Well, then you can back into: okay, what do I need to save ultimately to be able to generate that? And you can run that number. And you probably won't need the whole thing because you may have other income sources like Social Security. Maybe you're going to get a retirement check or a pension, but it at least you can begin to back into what that's going to be. You may decide to live on slightly less than you're living on right now.
And most people do, somewhere between 70 and 80% of their pre-retirement income in retirement because they're no longer saving for retirement.
So that might be 10 to 15% of your pay right there. The kids are off the payroll. Maybe your home is paid off.
So, you know, usually people spend less in retirement. But let's walk through that for a second and just kind of talk through things. What do you have now in your retirement accounts if you put it all together?
Well, probably I'm right over seven figures. Anyway, great.
So that's where I am. And it wasn't, you know, it was kind of kind of by accident. I just saved and saved and And uh You know, and that's kind of where I am. But yeah, two things you said, I don't think my kids will ever. I have six kids, I don't know if they'll ever.
Yeah, I mean I'll always want to help them and then you know You know, my father lived up until he was 90, and I just saw how money really. Kind of had gotten tight for him, you know? Yes.
I mean, thank God I was there and got lucky and. and my sister, but those are the things I worry. I don't want to be a burden, financial burden to my children. Yeah. Yeah.
But I think what you said is is accurate and I gotta figure out And and I live modest, you know. I don't You know, I I Yeah. do a lot of praying. I trust the Lord.
So I just wanted to Yeah.
So you're going to have to do that.
Well, I think that's good. You know, I mean, one thing you could do would be: let's say over the next seven years, you were to build that up to 1.5, let's say. Often, a number we will use is a 4% withdrawal rate.
So if you were to take 4% a year on $1.5 million, that'd be $60,000. And let's say you're going to get Social Security, and let's say that's another $24,000 a year.
So now all of a sudden you can start to put this together and say, okay, I mean, if I could have $84,000 a year and maintain that principle of that 1.5, maybe we could see a path toward that funding our lifestyle.
Now, maybe you're going to have more than that, but you can begin to back into that number. And I think that will tell you what your ultimate goal is over these next seven working years in order to fund whatever that lifestyle is. And then, in terms of some of those risks, I mean, namely, what you mentioned is long-term care.
So you could look at. Maybe a whole life long-term care hybrid policy or just a straight long-term care insurance policy. You know, those aren't cheap, but that's probably the biggest risk in terms of something that could erode your assets that would require you to need to either depend on Medicaid once you spent it down or your kids in some way. And so that may give you some peace of mind that you could explore with an advisor just to see what I could put in place to shoulder probably your biggest risk in that season of life, apart from you just not having saved enough. To be able to generate the income that you need.
So, I think these are great things to think about. Last thing I'll probably leave you with is just the importance of having an advisor who could run kind of all these scenarios with you, do that planning, and get a little bit more granular on, you know, ultimately what is retirement going to look like, how much are you going to need, and then what are you going to do with it? And then ensure that, you know, that plan allows that money to stay in place and well into your 90s, just given that you have longevity in your family and you're healthy. You know, we need to plan on once you hit retirement for you to be for that money to last three or four decades. And that just means we got to go into it well planned.
So if you don't have an advisor, you could find a certified kingdom advisor there in Florida on our website, findaca.com. Is that helpful? I appreciate it. Very helpful. Yeah, I was going to be awesome.
You're hired. All right.
Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. God bless you. Let's finish up today in Chicagoland.
Hi, May. How can I help? I'm calling regarding My uh estate planning. And I remember somewhere in the Bible It says we are required, or we should. Leave something for our children and our grandchildren.
How much for our grandchildren? Hmm. Yeah, it's interesting what you're referring to, and we could spend the whole program on this, and maybe we should here sometime soon. But you're talking about Proverbs 13:22: a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.
Now, keep in mind, anytime we read God's word, we need to do a little bit more digging to understand what is the general truth this verse is stating. And so, we need to look at the verses immediately surrounding the verse in question. And verses in Proverbs are regularly coupled together with other verses to express a broader truth. I think the idea here is the good man, in quotes, spoken of, is good because he's righteous. And as such, we can then ask what kind of inheritance a righteous person in Israel during this time would be able to leave to his family.
Because remember, this verse was written to mostly poor farmers living in a land-based society. And I think the one thing that every righteous person could pass along to his family is wisdom. He did this by teaching his family how to worship. giver of the land, Yahweh, and how to honor him by not squandering the land through laziness or unrighteousness.
So I think we need to focus on that as being the primary idea here.
Now, does that mean we shouldn't leave an inheritance? No, I think we absolutely can because part of your role is to say as the steward of these resources, who is the next steward and are they prepared? Let's do this. Hopefully that gives you a few things to think about. And I want to send you a book called Splitting Airs by Ron Blue that I think will help you navigate this, May.
It'll be our gift to you.
So stay on the line. We'll get that right out to you. It was a great question. I wish we had more time for it, but hopefully that helps. Big thanks to my team today.
Amy, Jim, Dan, Tiara. We'll see you next time. God bless you. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
