Today’s scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-6 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
God provides in some extraordinary ways here. Elijah did what God asked him to do, and God came through spectacularly! How many times can you recall in your life when “the ravens brought you food?”
But this begs the question, “What about the ‘ordinary’ ways God provides?” God created the universe. The earth is at exactly the right distance and angle from the sun so that life, in so many variations, can flourish. God designed the intricately complex DNA structure (and many other things) so that humans are created. You — the unique, unrepeatable YOU were born! Your parents fed you, cleaned you, clothed you, taught you. The years pass and God keeps all of your bodily systems functioning — respiratory, circulatory, nervous, digestive, and the rest. Your heart keeps beating — every beat, every breath is a gift! So, as miraculous as it is to have birds come and feed you in time of drought, we’re all here today because of thousands of supernatural gifts that God and loving people have given us; gifts that we might mistakenly identify as ordinary.
Perhaps I can give testimony to this. Because of crippling shame which flooded my life during my teenage years, I have lived through many days when I did not have the strength to face the day and do what my heart wanted to do (connect and bond with other people, work heartily, love God, and be at peace). But God had other ideas! Our Loving Eternal Spirit provided communicators of God’s essence (the biggest example for me being our Pastor Jeff), loving parents (just yesterday I had a two hour heart-to-heart sharing with my Dad), and grandparents (I’ve written about my Grandmother Adams and my grandparents on the farm in Illinois), friends (e.g. Pat, subject of a former Be Still), my spouse Dan who has many times rescued my from the toxic tentacles of hopeless shame and loved me as I am — with all my limits and shortcomings. And then there are all those sunrises and sunsets, that exquisite flower courageously blooming in winter, my dog Becki who loves me no matter what. And just this year God has given me some new friends who show me God’s love in a different way than I’ve ever seen before.
So, what about you? How many ingenious and infinitely varied ways has our loving heavenly Parent provided for you? Isn’t this what Christmas is really all about? God came up with an ingenious way to give us a beautiful, innocent child, who would show us God, and save us, and give us eternal life. Thank you, God for Your Gift!
Thought for the day: God, when I contemplate how much You’ve given me, it’s too profound to comprehend! When there is lack and brokenness and heartbreak in this world, let me look to You, our deliverer, so I can access some of Your provisions!
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.