Even When We Didn't Know It

From Today’s One Year Bible Reading Plan at BibleInAYearOnline.com

O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me. - Hosea 14:8

When our youngest was still just a baby, I loved watching him grow and change right before my eyes. At eleven months old, he was learning to stand, explore, and interact with the world. What amazed me is that so much of his growth was happening because of the care and attention his mom gave him every day. She made sure he ate well. She played with him. She spoke to him with love and joy. And even though he didn’t understand all she was doing for him in that season, one day he will. One day he will realize that he did not grow on his own.

That picture reminds me of what God says in Hosea. Israel had been chasing after other sources of hope. They were turning to idols, forgetting the One who had been caring for them all along. God gently reminds them through the prophet that it was He who answered their prayers. He was the one who had been providing. He had never stopped being the source of their fruit and life.

And He still is.

It is humbling to think about how many times we may have given credit to chance or to our own strength when it was really God behind it all. The door that opened. The provision that showed up just in time. The peace that came when everything felt unstable. It was Him. It has always been Him.

God is like that evergreen tree. Constant. Faithful. Always full of life. Even when we do not see it, He is sustaining us. Even when we do not know it, He is caring for us.

Reflection Question: Can you think of a moment in your life when God was working for your good even though you didn’t recognize it at the time?

Prayer: Father, thank You for caring for us in ways we often miss. Thank You for being our source of life, strength, and provision. Help us trust You more deeply and remember that You are always working for our good. In Jesus’ name, amen.