How God provided for us,... (trying to say thank you)

With all that has gone on during the pregnancy, birth, and burial of our twin daughters I thought I would really have to try hard to do what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:

"...give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you."

But this has been a time of much thankfulness,..at many times overwhelming thankfulness at how God has provided for us, comforted us, refined us, encouraged us, humbled us, loved us, ect... especially in these hard times.

I could leave this blog entry at that and just say, "THANK YOU!" to everyone, but I don't want to make it sound simply esoteric and mystical how God has provided all that He has provided for us (though it is no doubt supernatural). I don't want to confuse anyone by simply saying (as we have said much on this blog) that "God is sovereign" and think we expect things to just fall into our laps from God because He is all powerful and good. So let me start by saying God ordains the means as well as the end.

What do I mean by this? One quick example is that God tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 to not be anxious for food, drink, or clothing, cause our Heavenly Father will provide those things to us. So God has ordained that He will provide food, drink, and clothing for us.

He ordains the end. (for more on this read my previous blog entry on God's sovereignty)

He also ordains the means.

But how does He do this specifically? I'll just use food for this example.

In some rare special cases the means was supernatural, like when He just dropped food down with the morning dew for Israel when they were in the wilderness (Numbers 11:9), or when God sent ravens to feed Elijah (1 Kings 17:1-6), ect... But, for the majority of people this is not how God provides.

For the majority of us God has given us the ability to work as a means to provide. He gave us the skill of our hands, he gave us the animals and the vegetation, He created the world and everything in it! He did not just create all this one day to work itself out, but He is intimately involved in His creation. Involved in holding it all together and even involved in the small details like causing the grass to grow:

"You cause the grass to grow for the livestock

and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth"

- Psalm 104:14

"He covers the heavens with clouds;

He prepares rain for the earth;

He makes grass grow on the hills."

- Psalm 147:8

"For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created,

in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—

all things were created through Him and for Him.

And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.".

- Colossians 1:17-18

So I hope that little example helps you see how God ordains the end as well as the means. There is much much more to be said about this (like God also provides the sun, water, ect... things needed for food) but I think that will suffice for my purpose.

See God has promised to comfort His people, and the means that He used was you all! Wow, simply amazing how God uses everyday normal people for His task. So that is why I thank God for you and just want to say to all of you...

Thank you! (Please read specific Thank You's here)