“He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.” (Psalm 111:5)
Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise, thanking God for Who He is and what He has done. It deals not so much with specific things but focuses instead on His general power and lovingkindness. His works are great, and His glory spreads across all the earth. His faithfulness and justice never end. But He is not simply a God of magnificent works: He is also a God of relationships, a God Who wants to take care of His people.
Verse 5 states that God provides food for those who fear Him. This is a powerful statement, showing that God does indeed care about our well-being. He knows that we need food, and He gives it to us, no matter where we are. But let’s go a little deeper than the surface level. What exactly is food? Yes, it’s what we eat, but what more than that? At its basic level, it’s what we need to survive. If we didn’t have food, we wouldn’t last long at all. Our brief lives would be miserable and full of pain. But thankfully, that’s not how we have to live. Our God provides food for us, giving us exactly what we need to survive and thrive.
Looking at it this way, the implications of this verse stretch far beyond being thankful for just the food on our tables. There are a great many other things that we need in our lives, and often we have no idea how to reach them. Maybe we don’t really know what we need. But God does. And more than that, He is able to provide it. “He remembers His covenant forever”; His covenant is that He will be our God forever, never leaving us or forsaking us. “He provides food for those who fear Him”; He gives us everything we need to live a full life. The Israelites were often hungry when they wandered in the wilderness, but God fed them with bread from Heaven. He met their needs in ways they never could have expected. And He still does the same thing today! He knows exactly what we need, and He is able to provide it. For this alone, He deserves all our praise. “Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.” (Psalm 111:2)