The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, and you give them their food in due season.

You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15-16)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

The Lord provides. He does. Really. It may not always be what we ‘want’ or when we want it, but He does provide. He gives all his creatures all they need to live. He places us in community to help one another live life to the fullest according to His Will.

Luther explains the 4^th petition of the Lord’s Prayer like this:

Give us this day our daily bread.

What does this mean?

In fact, God gives daily bread without our prayer, even to all evil people, but we ask in this prayer that God cause us to recognize what our daily bread is and to receive it with thanksgiving.

What then does “daily bread” mean?

Everything included in the necessities and nourishment for our bodies, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, farm, fields, livestock, money, property, an upright spouse, upright children, upright members of the household, upright and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, decency, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like. (Luther’s Small Catechism. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #23163.)

God gives you all you need to live. God provides. At times He will use other people to satisfy your needs. He uses food shelves, social service agencies, voting booths, marriage counselors, real estate agents, schools, congregations, towns, families, neighbors and countless others to provide for all His people. Think of all the people involved in a simple sandwich – from the seed dealers to the farmer to the butcher to the baker to the sandwich maker and all the steps in between. Even with all local ingredients, it is a long and involved journey to lunch. God works through all those people to put food in your mouth.

He also uses you to provide for others. He calls you to care for your neighbors. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan. Who was a neighbor to the injured man? The lawyer responded, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37) We are called and try every day to “go and do likewise” because God is working through us to provide for His world.

God opens His hand wide for all who wait upon Him. He is near to you. He does provide. The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the risen Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

You are righteous in all your ways and loving in all your works.

You are near to all who call upon you, to all who call upon you faithfully. (Psalm 145:17-18)