Friday – January 21, 2022

Scripture

Matthew 6. 31-32

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the world runs after all these things, and your heavenly Parent knows that you need them.

Words of Hope

God Provides

What are your needs this day? What are my needs? It seems that humans are always asking God to provide something for their material needs or help for others. Prayers can become terribly lopsided as if God is no more than our personal vending machine.

Let’s expand our thought about the providing God. Unlike human nature, God’s blessings are not limited only to those who call on God for help. During the past week, I’ve noticed a very tiny black thing at the edge of my bathroom tub’s floorboard. It’s so little that when I first spotted it, I thought it was a speck of black lint or something inanimate, not worth the effort to investigate. However, over the past few days it has moved several inches along the edge of the floor while not doing any harm – probably some sort of tiny, innocent bug.

It would take too much effort to do something about it, so I keep watching it. Yesterday, I wondered what he eats to keep alive. This morning, I realized that it is provided some excoriated, dead skin cells and an occasional fragment of hair from my balding head. The protein and carbohydrate from those sources may be what it needs to be provided with continued life.

Now, all of this may sound silly, but it reminds me of this incredible world which God has provided in which I can realize the constant provision of divine love. From day to day, I watch that tiny black speck as it moves along at the bottom edge of my tub, and my spirit is elevated. And a chuckle given to that voice in my head as I recognize how incredible, how inclusive, how all-encompassing is our providing God!

Prayer

Loving God, the degree of your care for all of Creation, including us, will always be beyond our comprehension. Thank you for being our eternal provider. Amen

Devotion Author

Donald (Luke) Day
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare