God not only can provide for you, but He desires to because He's your Father!
Read / Listen
Read 1 Corinthians 8:4-6
Listen to passage & devotional:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26
Q. What do you believe when you say,
“I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth”?
A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who out of nothing created heaven and earth
and everything in them,
who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence,
is my God and Father because of Christ his Son.
I trust him so much that I do not doubt
he will provide
whatever I need
for body and soul,
and he will turn to my good
whatever adversity he sends me
in this sad world.
He is able to do this because he is almighty God;
he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.
Summary
Today's passage comes in the context of a letter written to brand new Christians who lived in a very pagan world. Much of their economy centered around the idol temple industry. In fact for most people, the only source of meat was the markets selling the meat that had been killed in sacrifice in an idol temple.
In response to the Corinthians' query, Paul said that in most cases, this wasn't a sinful transaction, since the idols were "nothing at all in the world (v4)."
Certainly the Corinthians' meat sourcing issue isn't one we face, especially since most of us live in the heart of the finest meat production region in the world! But what Paul writes next in v5-6 has massive implications for us.
We might not have pagan temples in our towns, but American society is filled with all sorts of people and products positioning themselves as de facto "gods" and "lords."
Yet regardless of society, "for us there is but one God." God is the sovereign creator and the uncaused cause "from whom all things came," but once again the reminder comes that He's not just a distant detached force that created the universe but has no real interest in your particular life.
Rather, He's your Father. We read yesterday that He is actively orchestrating all things for your good!
This results in an obligation on your part. Just as your Father is actively interested in you, you must be actively interested in Him. So much, in fact, that He is the reason "for whom you live!"
Dig Deeper
While it's comforting to be reminded that God is our omnipotent Father and not just an impersonal deity, the comfort would quickly fall flat without the final clause in v6.
You were born sinful, unable to fulfill your obligation to live for God from the very moment you were conceived.
The good news today is that God remains your Father because of Christ His Son! Just as all things came from God through Jesus, you can now fully live for God through Jesus, since you live in Christ!
As you finish another week, thank your Father for redeeming your life through the obedience, death and resurrection of Jesus, and keep your eyes open for opportunities to live for God through Christ.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for sending Jesus, and ask for strength & perseverance to live for God through Christ.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 1
