Our Daily Food

We have a cute little white dog in our house, named Autumn. She is a maltese bichon, who loves everyone she has ever met. You can read the story about how she came into our home here.

Every morning, her breakfast routine is exactly the same. My wife prepare her an egg, a spoonful of yogurt, an omega supplement, and one scoop of dry dog food. And every day Autumn’s response is the same. She watches intently as my wife prepares her food for her, licking her chops. Then, she gobbles it down. You can check out a video of the event here.

As I recently watched this taking place, I reflected upon how she is totally dependent upon us. She looks intently at us because we are her provider. Without our provision, she would surely perish.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). These aren’t mere words. This is reality. We are just as dependent upon the Lord every day to provide us with our daily needs as our dog is. Without the daily provision of the Lord, we too would perish.

 

If he should set his heart to it
and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,
all flesh would perish together,
and man would return to dust (Job 34:14-15).

The Crisis of Faith

Most Christians, as I can tell, go through a crisis of faith in their lives. By this, I simply mean a time in which they really question the reality of God or of His working in their lives. Sometimes it occurs when people are in their teens. At other times it occurs later in life. The result of these times is either an abandoning of the faith or a strengthened resolve to the realities of the faith.

The Biblical writers are no strangers to such feelings. More than a dozen times, we read the Psalmists expressing their doubts to the Lord saying, “How long?” (For example: Psalm 13:1, 2; 79:5; 94:3). Asaph chronicles his life by saying, “My feet came close to stumbling. My steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3). Habakkuk said, “How long, O LORD, will I call for help and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Job said, “I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me. I stand up, and you turn Your attention against me” (Job 30:20).

And yet, time after time, we can see the Biblical writers embracing again the God who they doubted. Asaph said, “I have made the Lord GOD my refuge” (Psalm 73:28). Habakkuk said, “I will exult in the LORD. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18). Job said, “I repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6).

What turned these men from trouble to trust? More often than not, it was a glimpse of the power of God. God is righteous. God will judge. God will make all wrongs right. We just need to wait.

Such thoughts have helped many through their crisis of faith.

Gird yourself like a man

I recently ran across the above picture on the internet. It shows a young boy flexing his muscles during a bodybuilding competition in Afghanistan, where bodybuilding is a huge sport. The skinny boy is a good representation of all of us.

We can often be deluded into thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3). Perhaps this little boy is able to beat up all of the other little boys in his neighborhood. Yet, when it comes down to it, he is no match for the bigger boys.

Regarding our lives, we may be able to overcome many other people physically or intellectually. But, when we attempt to overcome God, we will be undone (Isaiah 6:5).

When Job attempted to stand in opposition to God, the LORD answered Job, “Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me” (Job 38:3). He follows with four chapters of questions like the following:

– Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? (38:4).
– Have you ever in your life commanded the morning? (38:12).
– Can you send forth lightnings that they may go? (38:35).
– Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? (39:1).
– Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars? (39:26).

To all this, Job responds, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. … I repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Let us know our place before the Lord. We are weak and He is mighty.

Dodging Disasters

As a child I loved playing dodgeball. In Junior High we were rewarded for a good week of class by being allowed to play dodgeball. Sadly, most of us are still playing dodgeball. We play dodgeball with the disasters all around us. We try to dodge from tornadoes. We try to dodge from cancer. We try to dodge from earthquakes and plane crashes and nuclear meltdowns and financial collapses.

While dodging the disasters may work for a while, we can’t run and hide forever. The death rate is still going strong at 100%. Our life is short. “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). I would encourage you to prepare yourself today for the disaster that may come tomorrow.

Job was prepared. When disaster took out his family and possessions, Job said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” When facing these disasters, “Job did not sin nor did he blame God” (Job. 1:21-22).