Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. Romans 10:17
The psalmist tells God: “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16). People may wonder about this. Does God really appear on the scene to feed His creatures – human beings, animals, birds?
God does indeed provide, but He generally does it through means. We can learn this from observing a pair of finches. While the female bird sits on the nest and incubates the eggs, the mail brings her food. Later the nestlings will be fed by the parent birds. God has written this instinct into the birds so that they do His work in providing for each other.
In the book of Job the question is asked: “Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God?” (Job 38:41). The psalmist gives this answer: “He [God] provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call” (Psalm 147:9). God does it through the bounty of nature – through the grasses and grains and through His helpers: parents who provide for the young.
That is how God provides for you and me. He works through means. Yes, He could do it through astounding miracles, as when He fed the Israelites with manna from heaven or as when Jesus fed the multitudes miraculously. But even in the latter case our Lord used means: bread and fish.
In our lives God likewise provides for us by giving us sunshine and rain, strength and health so that we can work. He gives us fathers and mothers and other persons as His agents. They provide for us in His behalf: It is God who gives us daily bread and other blessings.
God works through means to feed also our souls. He nourishes us spiritually through His Word, through the Gospel of Christ’s redemption. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe it. God speaks through it. Are you listening?
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for giving me daily bread and for all the blessings You provide. Amen.
(Devotions from "With Jesus Every Day" copyright 1997, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 22 Psalms 56 Luke 22:1-23
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