How gracious is God?

Does he provide enough for you? Does he give you your daily bread?

In 1 Samuel 21, David is still on the run from King Saul. The King wants David dead. As a desperate man, David flees to the small town of Nob and asks the priest for something to eat. Ahimilech, the priest at Nob, sees David's physcial need and gives him the bread reserved only for the priests. 

David gets 5 loaves of bread to eat. He gets his daily bread from the priest. Then David asks him, "Do you have a weapon I can borrow?"

Coincidentally, the most famous weapon in Israelite history is at Nob - the legendary sword of Goliath that David used to execute the Philistine warrior. Ahimilech unwraps the well-preserved sword and gives it to David so he can defend himself against Saul and Saul's men.

God has met David's needs through Ahimilech: he is sustained physically by the bread and is prepared to defend himself with the sword. God has met David's needs.

David reflected on God's goodnes that day when he wrote Psalm 34.

"I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth...Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him...The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned."

David knew that God was gracious to him even during difficult moments like his time at Nob with Ahimilech.

Similarly, God is good towards you even when your circumstances are problematic or painful. He is always good. He is continually faithful.

He provides for your physical needs, but he also provides for your spiritual needs. He "redeems the life of his servants" and "none who take refuge in him will be condemned."

God redeems your life because of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Son of God went to the cross to pay the penalty for your sins so that you might be freed from slavery to sin. Christ's atoning death removes your guilt before God and brings you into God's family.

David knew the grace of God and reflected on it in Psalm 34. Do you know the grace of God? Have you reflected on his goodness? It is often easy to go to God with our complaints and anxieties; however, David reminds us in Psalm 34 that we should meditate on God's mercy and prayerfully express our gratitude to God for his goodness to us.