JULY 9, 2012
Who’s Behind It?
Read: 1 Chronicles 17:16-24
Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the
Father of
lights. —James 1:17
At
a cultural show in Bandung, Indonesia, we enjoyed a wonderful
orchestra
performance. Before the finale, the 200 people in the audience
were each handed
an angklung, a musical instrument made of bamboo.
We were taught how to shake
it in rhythm with the conductor’s timing.
Soon we thought we were performing
like an orchestra; we felt so proud
of how well we were doing!
Then it dawned
on me that we were not the ones who were good; it
was the conductor who
deserved the credit.
Similarly,
when everything is going well in our lives, it’s easy to feel
proud. We’re
tempted to think that we are good and that it is by our
abilities that we’ve
achieved success. During such moments, we tend to
forget that behind it all is
our good God who prompts, prevents,
provides, and protects.
David
remembered that truth: “Then King David went in and sat
before the Lord; and he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord God? And what is
my house,
that You have brought me this far?’” (1 Chron. 17:16).
David’s heart swelled up
in appreciation of God’s goodness.
The
next time we are tempted to take credit for the blessings we enjoy,
let’s pause
and remember that it is the Lord who brings blessing.
No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;
Our trust is all thrown on Jesus’ name:
In this our strong tower for safety we hide;
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.” —Newton
The hand of the Father is behind all good things.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
