January 20

He upholds all things by the word of His power. Hebrews 1:3.

We believe that God preserves us and all creatures. We confess: "He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life." God created the world, and now He does not stand aloof. No, He fills heaven and earth; His almighty

presence permeates all things, and He operates incessantly. Jesus says: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." God wills and causes the continuance of the created world. He sustains and preserves every part of it. In Acts 17 we read: "God is not far from every one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being." Without Him we would have no existence at all. Without Him we could neither live nor move nor even breathe. Our pulse could not beat one minute without His upholding power.

And this is true not only of man, but of every living creature. God prepares and guards every blade of grass, every leaflet on the trees, and every grain in the fields. He sustains sun, moon, and stars on their daily circuit around the earth, and no less the little bird twittering in the trees and the tiny flower blooming unseen by the eyes of man. The greatest and the least have His equal care. Everywhere is the actively sustaining presence of the living God.

And especially upon man does God bestow loving care. Everything was made for man, and all creatures are subservient to man's welfare. In particular, however, God cares for His Church. It is for the sake of His Church that He sustains the earth and all there is in it. When God's elect have all been gathered, the world will cease. The prime purpose of the preservation of the world is the holy Christian Church, God's Kingdom of Grace.

God has ordained to provide for our sustenance by means of the labor of our hands. Despite our labor, however, it remains true that it is God who preserves us; for it is He who gives and sustains to us strength, health, skill, and ability, which enable us to obtain our daily bread.

Prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst create all things and dost bless and preserve them, we thank Thee that Thou hast given us our body and soul and hast hitherto abundantly provided us with all we needed to support this body and life. And we beseech Thee, continue to shower upon us and all men all Thy wonted blessings for Thy praise and our welfare. Grant also that with firm faith and joyous confidence we may fully and at all times trust in Thee, who alone art able to preserve our life. Amen.

| I cannot tell how the lilies | I do not know how the planets | | --- | --- | | From their beds creep up so far; | Swing out into space so free, | | I can only pluck them gently | But I know that One controls them, | | And think how fair they are. | And that is enough for me. |