Yet he did not leave himself without testimony of the good he does. He gives you rain

from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and fills your hearts with

gladness.                                                                                                                                  Acts 14:17

 

Dear children of our heavenly Father:

 

The miracle of God was simple and straightforward. Paul simply commanded a man of faith

who could not walk to stand up. The man got up and walked. But the reaction among the

Lyconian Gentiles was far from simple and straightforward. After witnessing the miracle,

something outside of the realm of their normal day to day life, they could only assume that Paul

and Barnabas were gods who had come down among them. Dumbfounded, the Lyconians

could only react by trying to offer sacrifices to the evangelists. Paul commanded them not to do

so. After all, he and Barnabas were only men.

 

Paul then turned the tables on them. He did not share with them the astounding miracles of

God from of old or the more recent miracles of His Son. He did not speak of the ten plagues

visited upon Egypt. He did not speak of the dividing of the water of the Red Sea or the Jordan

River. He did not speak of the deaf hearing or the blind seeing or the dead being raised to life.

He pointed them back to their day-to-day lives. Does rain continue to fall in its season? Do

your vines and trees bear fruit? Are your bellies full with food which sustains your life? Do you

find joy and gladness in your life? All of these are gifts of God.

 

Paul was telling the Lyconian Gentiles that you do not need miraculous signs and wonders to

prove God exists. The proof of His existence is found in something as simple as your daily

bread. You do not need signs and wonders.

 

Do you live your life looking for signs and wonders from God? Do you believe that you cannot

act unless you have a direct leading from God? If so, I would say you are not living a life of

faith. You are living a life in which you are constantly asking God to prove Himself to you over

and over again. Faith is quite the opposite. Faith trusts in God’s provision no matter what is

seen. Return to trust. If you do not think you can, you can. Look to the cross. Look to the

empty tomb. There you will see the full measure of God’s love for you. And if He did not spare

His only Son, why then would He not graciously give you all things you need in life and in

eternity. He is there in our daily bread.

 

Upcoming in the future for Immanuel Lutheran School:

❖ May 18 Early Release - 1:40 PM

❖ May 18 Faculty Meeting - 2:00 PM

❖ May 26 Accelerated Reading Movie Field Trip

❖ May 26 3K, 4K, Kindergarten Celebration - 5:30 PM

❖ May 27 Last Day of School - No Bus Service - Noon Dismissal

❖ May 29 Graduation - 10:30 Worship Service

❖ June 24 Brat Fry at County Market - ILSA Fundraiser - 10:00 AM -5:00 PM

❖ July 14 Culver’s Share Night - ILSA Fundraiser - 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM