Psalm 145
Verse 16 You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Yesterday we were talking about how God provides for us and today we see that He doesn’t care simply for those He has called.
Just as the prosperity gospel claims that God will give us anything we want, there are many people who think that God is some kind of Santa or vending machine. And while God does openly provide for us these people are missing some key components. As we have talked about before He supplies all of our needs according to His riches. This means that He lavishes on us the things we need. Maybe He isn’t as free in His giving us our wants but we can know that we will never be in need.
Americans have a hard time separating wants from needs and so don’t understand the beauty of God’s love and abundance. We can’t go in the grocery store and without being flooded by decisions to be made. It is this kind of thing that makes it hard to for American Christians to understand God. As a culture we struggle to keep things in their proper place. We like to let things become more important to us than they should be and that makes us see them in an unhealthy way.
This verse may seem like it is saying that God gives everyone the things that they desire but that isn’t what it is saying at all. Since some of our desires are sinful we know that God won’t just give us something that will later become an issue in our spiritual lives. In fact He knows that giving us everything we want would actually turn our hearts away from Him.
Notice that it says He will satisfy the desires of every living thing. That should help us see that this isn’t talking about every single desire we have but actually refers to the things in life that are necessities for life. These needs that we have in life will be provided for. It doesn’t matter if we are God’s people, non-Christians or any other living thing on earth. God cares for His creation and part of that care is providing for our most basic needs. This is something we must learn to praise Him about. We need to remember that we are His and all that we have come from His hand.
Making It Personal
When has God provided for a need that you thought you would never see taken care of? What has being fully provided for allowed you to do for the kingdom of God? What has He given you that you need to praise Him for?
Making It Personal Kids
What are some things that Jesus provides for you? Does His care of you help you know how to care for others? What has He given you that you want to praise Him for?
Closing Prayer
Father, we don’t even know all of our needs and yet You care for every one of us. Father, please give us the desire for You and Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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