Psalms 54

Sometimes, I get the feeling that we don’t see things clearly in this world. As Paul once wrote, “For now we see through a glass darkly.” (1 Cor 13:12) And one of the things we don’t perceive is how dependent we are on God. We don’t see clearly just how He sustains our lives.

But David mentioned that in today’s psalm: “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” (vs 4) I think this is literally true. I believe that God is the Source of life, and as such, He is continually sustaining the life of all of His creatures. Jesus alluded to this when He said that both He and His Father were always at work (Jn 5:17).

When I think about how God sustains us, I think about it in terms of some sort of symbolical umbilical cord. Just as my children received oxygen and nourishment—everything they needed to live—for nine months in the womb through the umbilical cord, so there is a way that God imparts to us everything we need to live.

All of us are connected to God, and He sustains us. This is why sin is deadly. It cuts off our connection to Him (just like cutting the umbilical cord), but unlike a baby who adapts to life without the cord, we cannot adapt to life without God. There is no life outside of Him.

Every day we live, every breath we take is a gift from God. He is the only Source of life. Life issues from Him; He creates it, and He sustains it. We are all dependent on Him.