August 30

Job 13:13-15:13
Psalm 104:24-30
Proverbs 21:15-16
1 Corinthians 6:1-20

Sustained and Secure
All of them wait for You to give them their food at the right time.
—Psalm 104:27

No creature has the power to preserve itself. “Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh?” asked Job (Jb 8:11). Both man and beast would perish if there were no food, and there would be no food if the earth were not refreshed with fruitful showers. As one preacher put it: “We came from God’s hand, and we remain in His hand.”

Think of the marvel of life in the womb. How an infant can live for so many months in such a cramped environment—and without breathing—is unaccountable except for the power of God in preservation. It was divine preservation Daniel was thinking of when he said to the godless Belshazzar: “But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life” (Dn 5:23). Everywhere in the Scriptures God is presented not only as the Creator of the world but as its Sustainer and Preserver also. God has not wound up the universe like a clock and then separated Himself from it; rather, He is active in sustaining it, and were He to remove Himself from it, it would cease to exist.

The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that “He sustains all things by His powerful word” (1:3). If the maker of some artifact were to die, his death would make no difference to it. It would continue to exist just as it did before. Not so with God and His world, however. If God were to die, the universe would fall to pieces. But don’t worry—God cannot die. The universe is quite secure.

Prayer
O God, when I consider how You are my Sustainer and my Preserver, my heart is humbled before You. You cannot die, and because I am linked to You, I cannot die. I know my body will die, but my soul is Yours forever. Thank You, dear Father. Amen.

Further Study
Isa 46:1-13; Ps 18:35; 147:6
What did the Lord underline to the children of Israel?
What did the psalmist testify?

Every Day with Jesus Daily Bible – August 30