He has filled me with many good things

He has filled the hungry with good things

As Valentine  draws near, many of us are busy “filling” packages, and envelopes with good things.   We hope to surprise and delight the people in our lives.   We want them to know we love and value them, that we think of them, and that we will go to no end of trouble for them.   And whether we realize it or not, we are doing this in imitation of our heavenly Father, who also delights in filling his children with good things.   We are always on his mind.   We are always the object of his affection.   He is a good, good God, and his love for us is steadfast and unfailing.

What are some of the “good things” that God has filled us with?   First and most important, he satisfied Israel’s longing for a Messiah and the human race’s need for a Savior.   And on a personal level, he knows what you truly need and want.   He knows what will delight and satisfy you, even better than you know it yourself.   He knows how hungry you are for his grace, his guidance, and his presence, and he delights to give these good things to you.   You are always welcome in his presence, and he will always respond to the hunger hidden deeply in your heart.

Jesus expressed God’s generosity when he spoke about the crowds who flocked to him: “My heart is moved with pity. . . . I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way”.   Your Father knows the weariness and the hunger you experience.   He wants to fill you, lest you stumble and fall.   He knows the fears and anxieties that wear you down, and he wants to fill you with courage and confidence in his provision for you.   He knows the joys and triumphs you experience in life, and he wants to celebrate them with you and fill you with his joy.

Your Father is generous—beyond belief!   So don’t hesitate to ask him to fill you with all that you need.   At the same time, be sure to look for ways that God is already filling you.   Then, like Mary, you can proclaim the greatness of the Lord.

word among us