In my earlier blog “Purpose Cannot Be Denied,” I shared an encounter I had with God about just that: when God purposes something, it is done! He cannot be denied.

In reading the story of the golden calf, I find a powerful example of God’s provision for His purposes.

Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving from God the detailed instructions for the building of the tabernacle and the creation of its contents as well as instructions on how the children of Israel should conduct life as His people. In this time on the mountain, God also gave Moses “two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18 NKJV).

While he was there, the children of Israel asked Aaron, “‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him’” (32:1). So, Aaron told them to give him their golden earrings, which he melted and made into a gold calf.

As they were worshiping the calf, the Lord told Moses to go down and intervene. He went down,  “took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.”

So, that gold was gone.

But the testimony of provision for purpose comes several chapters later. God has forgiven them for the gold calf worship, and they are preparing to build the tabernacle where God would meet with them. To provide for the tabernacle and its contents, Moses asks them to donate things they have so the tabernacle could be built according to God’s very specific instructions. Gold was an important part. Exodus 35:22 tells us: “They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord.” They still had gold!!

This is the “but God” part. He knew, has always known, that they would make the golden calf and worship it. He knew defiled gold could never be part of the tabernacle. He knew Moses would make them drink the gold dust. He knew how much gold would be needed to build the tabernacle and the things in it, and He provided more than enough when they plundered the Egyptians, causing the Egyptians to willingly give abundantly.

So, when Moses asked them for supplies, the children of Israel gave exceedingly abundantly to the work of the tabernacle, to the point that “all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, ‘The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do’” (Exodus 36:4-5). There was more than enough of everything needed for God’s purpose!

God hasn’t changed, even in His planning purposes and His providing for those purposes to be fulfilled! He has a plan to connect each prodigal back to Himself and has already provided everything they will need to worship Him and fulfill His purposes in their lives!

He absolutely provides for His purposes!

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).