Daily Butter: Consider the Source

Consider the Source

 

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/2/13):

He causes grass to grow for the livestock
and provides crops for man to cultivate,
producing food from the earth,
(Psalm 104:14 HCSB)

Taking advantage of a wonderfully mild July day here in Tennessee where the "scattered showers" had scattered elsewhere, we enjoyed spending the evening in our back yard. As our son played, my wife and I were in our vegetable garden. While I never much liked the chore of weeding and caring the garden as a child, I have a different view now that I understand a bit more about the food budget. This is only our second summer in our home so the garden is still largely experimental - with the gardening knowledge passed down to me coming from a different climate up in Ohio and my wife and in-laws primarily flower gardeners. She commented that the weeding was more difficult this year (probably because we almost doubled the area cultivated over last year), but has also enjoyed eating some of the first tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

As I put in many hours at work paying back my debts and "providing for my family," yet struggling to train my son to understand why we stop to thank the Lord for his provision when we eat, this verse stood out today. While sheep and goats and cattle just have to lower their head and chew the grass He has provided, God's provision for man is the opportunity to cultivate food. While Genesis tells us that sin made the toil difficult (3:17-19), it clearly shows God tasked man to care for the garden that provided sustenance before the "fall" (2:15). God does not provide for us in the same way as the rest of His creation because He did not make us mindless but made us in His image so that we could, would, and should change the things around us for the better. While I need to do my part in providing for my family, I cannot do that apart from Him.

 

in His service,
Andy Jentes