Diversity of God's Care

"Can you stalk prey for a lioness

and satisfy the young lions' appetites

as they lie in their dens

or crouch in the thicket?

Who provides food for the ravens

when their young cry out to God

 and wander about in hunger?"

Job 38:39-41 NLT

There is a bat living in the foothills of the Andes Mountains that is the size of a raspberry.  The lungs of the changeable lizard have the distinct characteristic of being the only home for the rare nematode worm.  In all, it is nearly impossible for man to identify all of the life that exists on this diverse planet, but these are two of the most recent discoveries.  Estimates of the total of land animals vary but fall between 1.3 for the amount of species that have been cataloged, and 10 million in all.  

Turning to the tiniest of creatures, the insect world, the numbers are even more astounding.  Scientists have cataloged around 900,000 different kinds of insects, but there could be up to 30 million in existence *.  Thinking about the variety of God's creation boggles my mind.

God put great thought into His creation, and His ability to oversee it all, placing each creature in the perfect environment and faithfully providing for their needs is mind-boggling.  With such a caring and powerful Father as this, why do I worry?

Provision.  Only God knows what I need.  He made me and knows me better than I can understand myself.  He also comprehends my situation, the circumstances in which He has placed me.  With such intimate knowledge of me, He is the only One who is qualified to know my needs perfectly and provide for the necessities of life (Matthew 6:31-33).

Still, I fight for what I think is rightfully mine.  I'm ambitious, going after the things which I find necessary.  I can't rest until I have figured out how me and my family will be taken care of.

If I would know the generosity of my Father, realizing that I can go to Him with these worries, leaving the need in His capable hands, then I would be able to turn my attention to Him and His kingdom, leaving the tedious and time-consuming task of providing to Him.  All that is necessary for me is to know Him and make Him known in my little corner of the world.

God is the perfect Provider for all my needs.

Production.  Only God knows the purpose for which He created me.  This is His world; His production.  And like some complicated play that He has written and produced, He has made each character to fulfill a certain role, to play a certain part, to fill a specific hole.  Without each of us doing our part, realizing our place, and responding to His direction, the show will flop.  While I can't take responsibility for the well-being of all of mankind, I can pay attention to what God wants me to do.

Therefore, when I see Him at work around me, being bothered by a need I notice in front of me, I can step in and do something to share God's love with those who are hurting.  Even if it seems insignificant, I can do my part to the best of my ability, surrendering my fears and doubts to Him so that I can be an instrument of His love in the little part I play.  As small as it seems, my obedience is noticed and makes a difference.  While I may balk at doing what God has placed on my heart, skeptical as to my ability to do such a thing, my willingness to be used by God will uniquely impact the world as I step into the role God meant for me to play (Ephesians 2:10).

God is the perfect Director of this production that we call life.

Power.  Only God has the authority and control to pull all the pieces of my life together.  He is uniquely qualified and equipped to work each part for His glory and for my good.  At just the right time, God is able to put everything where it should be.

While God did give us free will, making it so I must cooperate with His will if I want to see His purposes carried out in my life, He has unlimited power to constantly pursue me in a way that will show me His loving care for me.  It takes power to be able to pull that off for each of His image-bearers.  How can God oversee such intricate details, going after each sheep that has strayed and making sure every child knows of His love?  Now that is power!

With such a God as this, who wants to be known by each of us, how can I resist His advances?  Why would I hold Him at arms' length?  For what reason is there to keep Him at bay?  Not only is this powerful God mighty, but His love endures forever and is impossible for me to fathom.  His love is part of His character, making it impossible for Him not to love me.  Therefore, I have nothing to fear and need not resist His pursuit of me.

God has the power to pull all the pieces of His creation together, working each part into an intricate and beautiful tapestry.

If I had God's job, I would crumble under the pressure.  But God is perfectly qualified as my Provider, the Director of life, and is powerful enough to bring it all together.  If I doubt this truth, all I must do is look around at the great variety of His creation.  With such diversity of God's care, I know I can trust Him in all things.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can turn all my worries over to Him, knowing that He cares for me and is perfectly qualified to love and cherish me in just the way I need.

When do I try to be my own provider instead of letting my Father do His job?

How am I resisting His work in my life?

*http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/science/30species.html?_r=0

 http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/buginfo/bugnos.htm

Amazing God

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
   or seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I reserve for times of trouble,
   for days of war and battle?
What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
   or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
   and a path for the thunderstorm,
to water a land where no one lives,
   an uninhabited desert, 

 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
   and make it sprout with grass?"

Job 38:22-27

 

"Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom"
from "Indescribable"

written by Laura Story for Chris Tomlin



I recently watched "Apollo 13,"  the 1995 movie about the failed attempt of the NASA Space Program to land another crew on the face of the moon in 1970.  The spacecraft suffered an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks, crippling its service module which caused the crew to abort their mission, severely hampering their ability to return home.  The film illustrates the hard work and dedication of the hundreds who worked to bring the three back safely to earth. 

It struck me that the depiction of this event in our country's history contained not one reference to God.  He was not acknowledged as the One who created the beautiful vistas the astronauts enjoyed, or Who protected them throughout their ordeal, or even as the One who gave them the intelligence and the inspiration to come up with the solutions to the many problems the explosion caused.  Instead, all the glory was given to man.

I don't want to fall into the trap of revelling in my own glory, as is so easy to do.  Instead, I want to be a woman who is actively looking for ways to praise God, marveling at His Creation and never growing weary of wondering over the details He added to His masterpiece that is found all around me.  I want to take seriously the advice found in Proverbs 3:6, "in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Creation

Have you ever marveled at the intricate, delicate detail found in a single tulip blossom?  God etched beautiful embellishments on the petal of each single bloom and adorned them with gorgeous eye-popping colors sure to bring even the most dull of senses out of the winter doldrums and headlong into the splendor of Spring.

How does my maple tree know when to burst forth into radiant color each Fall, dropping its leaves at the appointed time?  Who tells the birds to fly South at the coming of Winter, or brings them back as the weather warms?  What mechanism exists in a newborn calf that gives the tiny creature instructions on how to stand on wobbly knees and head butt her mama's udder in order to help her release the warm, life-giving milk into his newly formed mouth? 

The Lord is truly amazing, and I will ever praise Him!

Circumstances

When I think of miracles, my mind tends to consider healings, amazing rescues or survival stories.  But what about the way God organizes ordinary, everyday events that come together in such a way as to set forth God's plan?  

If I am going to run into an old friend at the store, I must leave home at just the right time so that I will walk into the store and enter the aisle in which my friend is shopping at exactly the right moment.  There are a million things that could go wrong; a traffic light stopping me, the dog needing to be let out before I leave, a phone call delaying my departure, or the inability to find a parking place.  That doesn't even take into account the route I take within the store that leads me right to the divine appointment.  It boggles my mind to think of all the variables. 

But that is only one insignificant happening in my life.  Multiply that by all the events that occur in the course of my life, and then again by the 7 billion people found in the world today and you have yourself a miracle!  As the wisdom of Solomon found recorded in Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds me, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

The Lord is entirely complex, and I will ever praise Him!

Continuance

My daughters were talking the other day about God's forethought and planning, and imagining what life would be like if instead of delivering babies, humans laid eggs!  We would have to carry these delicate, fragile eggs around, constantly keeping them warm until it was time for them to hatch.  As humans, we are completely ill-equipped for egg incubation!

In His wisdom, God designed our bodily functions to work in tandem with each other, every system coming together on a minute-by-minute basis in order to sustain life.  Consider the fact that the human body is made up of over 200 bones, 600 muscles, 22 internal organs, 11 major systems and over 19 million skin cells!  All of these parts must each function as designed in order for life to continue.  The human body is a magnificent creation, conceived in the mind of God.

The Lord is a God of planning and forethought and I will ever praise Him!

As I see all the details that come together throughout my day, I can either take credit for how well things turned out, or I can give praise where praise is due.  It is my objective to live my life intentionally praising God for His creation, His control over circumstances, and His plan evident in the conception and continuance of life.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can keep the amazing attributes of God at the forefront of my thoughts. 

How do I take for granted all that God has created?

When do I forget that my footsteps are ordered by God and instead become upset at the slightest delay or aggravation?