“…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” 2 Peter 1:3

Pertaining to Life

Our God is a giving God, to be sure. Without even consulting a Bible concordance, we could easily list gifts He gives: His Son, salvation, provision and protection, spiritual gifts, peace and comfort—just to name a few.

Often we get stuck on trifles. We lose the greater vision of all that God is doing for us. I’ve heard people say, “God seems far removed from me.” They don’t see His hand, don’t see His activity in the here and now. Their prayers go unanswered (or so it seems) and they feel very much on their own, responsible for making things happen in their life, since God doesn’t seem to be doing it for them.

Last night as I fell asleep, I sensed a current of joy I hadn’t felt in awhile. Songs I sang in church back in the day floated effortlessly to my mind, every word intact. Prayer came easily. The whole Spirit-filling was still with me this morning when I awoke. And I knew, considering all I have been through lately, that this was a gift—a reminder that He hasn’t changed in all this time.

What has He given that pertains to life, as today’s Scripture proclaims? If we consider only the basics, He keeps the earth spinning and rotating, bringing sun and moon, heating and cooling, and seasons—all of which work together to bring harvest, feeding the whole teaming mass of humanity. While the world is spinning (with quite a bit of speed), He keeps us from flying off into outer space with gravity. He gives all the animals and critters to balance one another, each one fulfilling its role of predator and prey. He gives us birds to control insects and disperse seeds, growing great jungles and forests—not to mention the joy of our hearts from their songs and calls, whistles, tweets, and chirps. He gives green growing things for every conceivable purpose: shade, food, homes for tree-dwelling animals, and oxygen (by a creative, unimaginably complex process that He perpetuates).

These are just miniscule glimpses of His creative work that He set into movement on Day 1 of life as we know it. He knew then how things would be now. He knew what pertained to life—in fact, He created our needs and the means to provide for them, way back in the beginning.

So if you ever find yourself wondering if God is doing anything in your life, spend a minute with the realization that He is working everything together, spinning the planets, holding the stars in His hands, overseeing inner workings of nations, turning the hearts of people, providing for our needs, sustaining life, directing seasons, wind, rain, oceans, clouds—and carrying out all our tomorrows.

“Incomparable God, we try to find words to express our wonder, but we fall short. Help us to see. Amen.”