"Entrust your days and burdens to God's most loving hand; He cares for you while ruling the sky, the sea, the land. For He who guides the tempests along their thund'rous ways Will find for you a pathway and guide you all your days.
"Leave all to His direction; His wisdom rules for you In ways to rouse your wonder at all His love can do. Soon He, His promises keeping, with wonderworking pow'rs Will banish from your spirit what gave you troubled hours."
The Lord "upholds the universe by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3b). He provides sunlight and rain, food for wild animals, grass for livestock, and crops for people to cultivate. All creatures look to Him as He opens His hand and "they are filled with good things" (Psalm 104:28b). God is "ruling the sky, the sea, the land" and "guides the tempests along their thund'rous ways." Is our God, who is so involved in ruling the universe, involved in our lives as well? Does God care about our daily fears and worries? Does He have time for us?
Of course, it must be said that we do not deserve His time. But even though we sin daily against God and rebel against His Word and His will for us, He loves us. He loves the world and the people He created. At just the right time, God sent His Son into the world to be our Savior. Jesus took our sins onto Himself and bore them in His own body on the cross. He was innocent of all sin, but suffered the penalty of death that we deserved for our sins. Then, a short time later—just three days!—Jesus rose to life in victory over death, a victory He gives to us. Through faith in Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord, our sins are forgiven and we have peace with God.
God sent His Son to save us and because He did that, we can be sure that He has all the time in the world for us. He hears our prayers and He never takes time off! Even while He rules the sky, sea, and land, and guides the thunderous storms, He guides us along the righteous paths He has prepared for us. Our Lord will banish the worries and fears that give us "troubled hours" and fill us with His peace. As the apostle Paul writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). That blessed peace will surely rouse our wonder "at all His love can do."
WE PRAY: Lord, watch over me and guide me along pathways that are pleasing to You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Entrust Your Days and Burdens," which is number 754 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. Beyond the examples given above, how do you see God upholding the universe?
2. Do you think it's important to God for you to know His peace? What has He done to make that peace available to us?
3. Why does taking time for others sometimes leave such a profound impression on them?
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 104-105 1 Thessalonians 1
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