Why God will provide

In Genesis chapter 15, God makes the covenant with Abram.  Covenant means OATH TO THE DEATH.  God has Abram bring Him a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, He split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. 

This was an agreement ceremony common for making an oath.  As two Kings might make, as each would walk between the halves after declaring the oath. By doing so, they are saying "If I break this agreement, let what happen to these animals happen to me".   But in Genesis, only God in the form of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, passes through the carcasses, thus saying if I break this covenant, "I will suffer the same as these animals but if you break this covenant, ALSO LET WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE ANIMALS HAPPEN TO ME!" God takes on the penalty for both parties, and fulfills it in Jesus on the cross.

This doesn't mean we do nothing, but the contrary.  We contemplate on God's radical generosity of love and mercy, and we become grateful.  

True gratitude involves recognition of the benefit, acknowledgment of the benefactor, and a real response, according to one’s ability.

The debt of gratitude is not repaid by mere feeling but by action. This is why faith & works can not be separated. The ultimate work: saying "Thy will be done" not with words but by our life.