God’s Will and God’s Provision

Psalm 94:19 (NRSVue) - When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94 is about God avenging the righteous.

But the psalmist recognizes that when troubles are many, God is there.

Luke 22 is the account of Christ just prior to His betrayal and crucifixion.

Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, a place He frequents.

As the time draws ever nearer, the moment weighs heavily upon Him.

He leaves His disciples behind and goes off to pray to the Father.

His Divine and human nature come to the fore.

His human nature knows of the coming pain, suffering, and death.

But His Divine nature prevails.

And God provides Him with strength at this crucial moment.

Luke 22:42-43 (NRSVue) - “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.

Like the psalmist, sometimes we feel the weight of the world upon us.

But like the psalmist, we recognize that God is there for us.

We understand that we do not face these cares alone.

And being human, we still might find these burdens too difficult to bear.

Christ reminds us that what the Father has planned will ultimately prevail.

Acknowledging this, we will then see God at work strengthening us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, September 27, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, October 4, 2024

The Source of Provision

Job 38:41 (NRSVue) - Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food?

In this chapter, the Lord answers Job.

In doing so, The Lord compares His omnipotence to Job’s weakness.

Job is reminded that even the ravens and their young are provided for by God.

Paul, in his first letter to Corinth, discusses divisions within the Church.

He compares his role to that of Apollos.

One did the planting while the other watered.

But it was God who brought about growth.

1 Corinthians 3:7 (NRSVue) - So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

So, what is the connection?

Simply that God provides.

God provides for His creation.

God also provides for us.

And while others may inspire us through their words and teaching, it is God that provides our spiritual growth,

He then uses us to teach and perhaps inspire others.

These are duties we dare not shirk.

But even when we do these things, we must bear this in mind:

It is God who provides for their spiritual growth just as He provides for ours.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, August 23, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, September 6, 2024