Not only is God the Creator of me and all that exists, God is also provider and protector. Luther lifts this up by saying, "God daily and abundantly provides..." He then goes on to list a variety of things God provides, "shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children....along with all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life." So, it is all gift. It is all God giving to us, freely, though we surely do not deserve it. I liked today's quote from The Color Purple. "People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back." God is "pleasing us back" in the abundant ways God provides for us.
God also "protects me against all danger and shields and preserves me from all evil." Given the danger and tragedies of our world, this is a harder statement to accept. Why does it seem that some are protected, and others not? There is some mystery to this and we live in a fallen world where bad things happen. That's all the more reason to pray for God's protection to be with those we love and all of God's children throughout the world. Today give thanks for all the ways God provides for you in daily life, and pray for God's protection from all danger and harm.
I think that an important statement in the devotion book is "The reality is that God doesn't necessarily make things happen or not happen." I believe that He allows our free will to affect a lot that happens. The bottom line is that he is with us through out all circumstances, He knows what our choices will be, and then he uses everything to glorify Him.
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