Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Hidden Provisions of God

My wife and I like to take walks whenever we can. Most evenings you can find us walking hand-in-hand . . . somewhere! Usually we take a lap around our subdivision which ends up being around a 40-minute sojourn around the perimeter. Shooing flies and mosquitoes away, always on the lookout for the occasional un-leashed dog.

Every so often God provides us with special treats. A friend going by on his bike stops to talk. A neighbor out walking their dog does the same. And then there are the natural treats - an amazing sunset or a doe and it's fawn out munching grass along the roadside. All of these blessings come from God.

Not everyone agrees with my assessment however. Many people think that this is just life and good things happen along with the bad . . . randomly, in a universe filled with randomness. I however have chosen to believe differently.

I am reading through the Old Testament book of Joshua right now. God was more VISIBLY active in the lives of His people back then. Sending them here and there. Telling them to conquer a city, telling his people to pass another one by. Why? It's almost like God has a plan or something!

As I walk around the subdivision with my wife, it is every bit the same as Joshua leading God's people around the city of Jericho. God commanded it and it was done for His ultimate glory. Some people may disagree with my thoughts about God's provision. Some might scoff at my belief that a man and his wife, simply by walking together, hand-in-hand, would bring glory to an all-powerful God. I disagree.

Anywhere I walk . . . with anyone, and we talk about God? We bring Him glory. And that is our purpose as believers. For you and for me. Our entire purpose, no matter what we do, is to glorify God in heaven. If we do that, God WILL provide amazing things for us. He will do amazing things FOR us.

"13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so." - Joshua 5:13-15

As my wife and I came around a corner on our walk last night we saw a mother deer and her fawn standing right in front of us. We stopped and watched as the doe slowly led her fawn into the woods. How I wish that we as a people would follow our God as closely as that fawn followed its mother. God is more loving, compassionate and merciful than any deer could ever be. Let us give God thanks and praise for all that He provides us - our lives, our jobs, our families and friends. Let us always be mindful of who we are and WHOSE we are. To God be ALL the glory.

To God Be The Glory - Huge Choir, Read the words! :)

"25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 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? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:25-32

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