May 12, 2005

[Rev. Doc]

We Are Not Alone

"I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:18-19

The lush Hawaiian island of Kauai has supported dense tropical forests for thousands of years. By all rights, the soil on this volcanic island should have been depleted of phosphorous long ago. Yet the forests continue to thrive.

A scientist named Oliver Chadwick began investigating this strange phenomenon. By analyzing the chemical signature of the phosphorous in Hawaii's soil, he found that the life-giving nutrient actually originated in Asia. Dust, carried aloft by winds, had traveled almost 10,000 miles to fertilize the beautiful vegetation which covers the islands today.

There is an old saying: "No man is an island." That simple proverb challenges us to admit that each of us is nourished, supported, and sometimes carried by other men and women. Many times, without our knowledge, we are carried by God.

The same God who oversees the 10,000 mile flight of life-giving dust across the ocean arranges for your needs to be met as well. A word of encouragement when you need it most...an unexpected check in the mail...a circumstance that just works out, in spite of the odds....and on and on, each a gift from a God who knows your needs better than you do and who loves you more than you could even love yourself.

Prayer: Thank God for his provisions and ask Him to show you ways to support others in His name.

"Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence."
~Augustine