Mensa Otabil - The Lord Lifts and Provides
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This week, we are talking about God’s provision for His people, and we’re looking at Psalm 145, verses 14 and 15. The Lord upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. The psalmist talks about God’s nature and God’s response to people in different situations: those who have fallen, those who are bowed down, and those who are looking expectantly to God.
All over the world, there are people who are falling; their businesses have collapsed, their lives are in despair. People are in despair; they are bowed down. People are looking in expectation; they want something good to happen to them. How does God respond to all of these things? When we are in this situation, that is what the psalmist talks about.
First, he says the Lord upholds all who fall. Those who trust in the Lord may fall because, in life, something is going to happen. You may stumble, you may fall, you may get into a situation that puts you down, but God does not want us to stay down. The passage says that when we fall, when something happens that knocks us off, God upholds us. Uphold simply means holds us up. So you stumble, you fall, and God picks you up and holds you up. If something is knocking you off your balance, God will hold you up, and you will not stay on the ground permanently; He will uphold you.
Secondly, it says the Lord fulfills the expectations of those who look up to Him. The eyes of everybody are on the Lord. This is an appropriate statement for this time, especially looking at all the situations around us. People are looking with expectation to the Lord, and they are asking, «What will God do for me? How am I going to get through today? How am I going to get through this week? How am I going to get through the next week?»
We are looking with expectation to the Lord, and God will not disappoint you. When we expect from the Lord, He provides for us. The passage goes on to say that the Lord gives food to those who look up to Him, and He gives it to them in due season. «In due season» means at the right time. The right time we need deliverance from the Lord is now. The right time you need food from the Lord is when you are hungry. The right time you need God to set you free is when you are bound. The right time you need God to heal you is when you are sick.
«In due season» talks about the time when the need is expected to be met. It says the Lord gives food to those who look up to Him with expectation, and He provides for them. God has a way of providing for each one of us. For some, it may be that He gives you the money to go and get what you want; for others, it may be that He brings somebody your way to give you what you are looking for. For some, it may be that He gives you the opportunity to work for what you are looking for. But in all of these things, God is giving you what you want.
Now, many times, we expect that God will do it one way, or we say, «Oh God, give me the money to get it,» or «Oh God, let somebody give it to me.» Sometimes, He may not give you the money, and He may not let somebody give it to you, but He’ll give you the opportunity to earn it. He’ll give you the opportunity to work for it; He’ll give you the opportunity to get there with your expectations. So as you expect from the Lord, don’t limit Him to how He will do it. The Lord knows how to give food to those who look up to Him.
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, my eyes are on You. You are the one who lifts me up and provides for me. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.