Psalm 3:3-5 “But You are a shield around me, O Lord, You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord, I cry aloud; and He answers me from His holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me.”
We love to take the credit for success and we love to blame others for failure. We like to tell ourselves that we live another day, we are healthy, we are safe, we are provided for, etc… because of what We Do. We in essence put ourselves on the throne as the “Sustainer” of life. We say “You control your destiny”, “It’s all up to you”, “You did it”… But God’s word describes God as “The Sustainer”. If that is true, then that would mean we are dependent on Him for life itself and that all credit belongs to Him. But how often do we not recognize or even believe this. We show our belief by what we say and by the way we live our lives.
We take the credit and by doing so, we nullify the grace of God. God does not bless, chasten, discipline, give, and provide because He has to or because that’s His job. He does it out of grace and love. Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve, and it is by His grace that we live and breathe.
So what should be our response to this truth of God’s sustenance? It is to be that of recognition and admission. We must give credit to the Provider and Giver of today. Not to live in fear or in pride, but to humbly recognize God as “The Sustainer”. Our response should also be that of worship. He should be thanked and praised every day for who He is… holy, righteous, sovereign, and gracious. This response of praise from us is manifested by a surrendered life. Surrender to His plan for my life Today by saying to Him “God, for whatever reason You have chosen to sustain my life for another day, I give it back to You and allow You to take control, so that I may bring praise to You and have a very fulfilled life”. Living a life of worship and surrender says to God “You are all I need today”. We can live today with hope, encouragement, and purpose because God holds our world in His hands! Recognize, give thanks, and surrender to the gracious and loving Sustainer of life.
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