I’m Constantly Amazed at the Provision of God

Today, as I seek to study the Bible through the year, with a chapter of the Gospels every day, my studies led me through Exodus 1-3 and John 18. In Exodus 3, God introduces Himself to Moses as “I AM,” and in John 18, Jesus, when the mob came to arrest Him, asking if He was Jesus of Nazareth, He responded with “I am” to which the mob drew back and fell on their faces before Him. This is a study my friend and I do every year: we find a plan, whether chronological or canonical in order, and we add a chapter of the Gospels every day, beginning in the book of John. And, nearly every single day, we’re amazed at how God reveals Himself to us, and shows Jesus to us throughout all of Scripture.

I say all that to say this: we have, I think, become so accustomed to God’s provision that we are spoiled by it instead of amazed by it. Every day, within His Word, by the Holy Spirit and through His interaction with our Lives, God reveals Himself to us, and we treat such encounters as commonplace! We should walk in amazement at the power of God. We should especially be amazed, since we cannot save ourselves: we’re rebels by nature, and have constantly put ourselves before the will of God. And yet, in spite of us, God has provided His Son that we should be restored to Him! Jesus came to live as one of us, was born of a Virgin, lived the life we could not, completely obedient to His Father, the Law, and the Covenants, and died the death to pay the debt our sin incurred before a Holy and Just God. God showed His mercy to us in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and so we are free from the burden of Sin and Death. God provides the way! Let us, then, in awe, and wonder, walk in amazed obedience to the God who provides all things to sinners like us!

2 Peter 1:3-21

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to^c his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.