First comes that which will be required, and then follows the requirement. It has always been this way, and it always will be.
What is required of you has already been given beforehand; if you look around with a little attention, you will find it. And it is precisely what you need, exactly what will meet that need of yours. Just enough, just as much as necessary. Believe it or not, what is required of you came before the need itself. To find what is required of you, I advise you to look shortly before that need arose. It is around there; it arrived in advance. First comes that which will be required, and then follows the requirement. It has always been this way, and it always will be. This matter is not about us—the ones in need—it pertains entirely and solely to the Creator.
You must have often heard or said the phrase, “It wasn’t what we wished for, but we made do with what was at hand.” What is called “at hand” is actually that which was necessary for you and sufficient to fulfill your purpose, and in the end, your need was indeed met. Utterances like “It would have been better if it were like this” are nothing more than idle talk. Had you truly made that “if only” a genuine necessity, it undoubtedly would have been granted as well. You will render it necessary, and God, the sole Provider of all needs, will bestow it. It is that clear and simple. He gives according to the need. The shepherd did not drive his flock there because there was grass; the grass was there because the flock was to come. Although the need of the flock is instantaneous, the greening of the barren land with rain and the sprouting of grass is a process. Likewise, the food in the refrigerator is there not because you purchased it, but because it was created for the time you would need it. Everything you consume, wear, and wear out is in this very condition. These were ordained for you in eternity, and there will be neither a fraction less nor more. God created human beings together with their needs. He, who created man and all other creatures out of nothingness, knows what they will need now and hereafter far better than the needy one himself; yet man continuously destroys himself for that which will never come to him.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
— Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25–34)
Of course, there is none other than God to give to the one who receives little or the one who receives much. He gives much to some, and little to others. My use of “little” is relative. Little compared to what? Much compared to what? What exceeds the need is called “much,” and what falls short of meeting the need is called “little.” That which suffices is in exact measure, and it is the best. Almost all people want to have a lot of money. They want a lot of money to buy many things. They want to buy many things to possess many things. They believe that once they possess many things, they will live in comfort, health, and security. It is precisely in thinking and believing this that man makes the greatest error. Comfort, peace, and health are distinct blessings in God’s treasury. He bestows them upon whomever He wills, in whatever measure He wills. Just because He gives a person a lot of money does not mean He will also give them comfort, health, and security, nor is He obliged to do so. A person falsely imagines that they can possess these blessings simply because they have money. Public hospitals are just as crowded as private and expensive ones. Wealthy people have just as many troubles as the poor. Only the type and magnitude of the trouble differ. The joy a person experiences over dinner with their spouse and children, or the tranquility felt while watching a movie at home with a loved one, is something absent in many wealthy people. I wonder, which one is more expensive?
The rich do not live longer simply because they are rich. Look at the tombstones in the graveyards where the wealthy are buried (if such exist); you will see that they lived as long as the average human lifespan. Just like everyone else.
Money arrives accompanied by its own afflictions. As the figures rise, so do security concerns, the fear of losing it in fluctuating markets, and the number of things that would be lost along with it if it were gone. The more spoiled a person becomes, the higher they perceive themselves to be; yet, the higher the fall, the greater the damage. If you do not own a vehicle, you need not worry about the alarm ringing at four in the morning. If you do, you worry as much as the value of your vehicle. This value is not its monetary market price, but its value in your heart. The rich do not live longer simply because they are rich. Look at the tombstones in the graveyards where the wealthy are buried (if such exist); you will see that they lived as long as the average human lifespan. Just like everyone else. Exactly as much lifespan as the Creator ordained. Not a breath more, nor a breath less. If you scrutinize the life of a wealthy person who lived to be 80 years old, you will see that they ate and drank only as much as a human being consumes in a lifetime, and used and wore out only as many items as anyone else. The rich person does not possess multiple stomachs or multiple bodies. They merely paid a higher bill after the meal, paying extra for the labels or brands of what they consumed. If this is a source of happiness or privilege for them, one can only laugh. They have dispatched to the Day of Reckoning the burden of sins for things they cannot take even an atom of with them when departing. Having few possessions, at least, bears no such risk.
Yet, man believes he can attain God’s blessings only if he succeeds or exerts immense effort, eventually turning into a greedy predator eyeing what is in the hands of others. Meanwhile, even during times when he failed, or did not work at all, or worked very little, his table was always full—yet he never reflects upon this. It is certainly true that people who work harder earn more, but this is merely an extra tip bestowed by God for their effort. If earning were achieved solely through physical toil, porters would be the richest people in the world. God gives to whomever He wills, as much as He wills. What matters is not how much is given to whom, but why He gives or withhold from whom. Wretched man can never find peace with these fears of his. If he were to surrender himself to his destiny just once and realize that what is given is indeed the most suitable for him, his heart, mind, and soul would all find rest. What is destined to come will come, none other. What is destined to happen will happen, no more. Animals are far more peaceful than humans because they have no anxiety over their sustenance. They do not fret over what they will eat tomorrow. It is nothing other than man’s lack of trust in God’s power that brings him to this state.
“Birds do not think of tomorrow, yet God never forgets them. Man’s anxiety stems from his lack of faith in God’s generosity.”
— Saint Francis of Assisi
None of those lying in the graves have any remaining claim from God. All have received their full share and consumed their appointed lot.
For some reason, concepts like being content with little, being satisfied with what suffices, and making do with what is at hand have always frightened man. These noble virtues have constantly been identified with lack and poverty. Yet, the same God gives to both the rich and the poor. It is He alone who bestows the bread and shelter needed by the poor, as well as the jet or yacht needed by the rich. There is no separate God for the rich and another for the poor. The essence of the matter lies in rendering the item necessary. When something becomes necessary for a person, it is God alone who satisfies those needs. No one can acquire what God does not give, no matter how much money they have. How many wealthy people exist who lack peace or health, or who do not possess even as much security as a poor person. Each of these blessings is a distinct entity. It is not man’s duty to worry about his own sustenance. None of those lying in the graves have any remaining claim from God. All have received their full share and consumed their appointed lot. Therefore, my child, walk upon a clean path, work diligently, and strive to be useful by continuously improving yourself. If you desire something, make yourself worthy and necessary for it, and patiently leave the outcome of your affairs to the One who created you. When the time comes, when you are most suitable, that which is required will arrive. Whether it is something worth a single cent or a million dollars. No matter how expensive its price tag may be, it is not more valuable than you in the eyes of the One who bestowed upon you from His own spirit.
“Sustenance does not seek the seeker; it turns toward the one sought. If you know how to be patient, sustenance will find you.”
— Rumi
