EVERY THING
Everything-it's the word that seems to hold so much weight and yet can be so empty!
Everything....
"I got everything done."
"Ever thing's put away."
"Did you get everything on the list?"
"Everything still needs to be done." etc.
Everything, what does it exactly mean?
I like to define words from a dictionary to help my mind grasp the big picture, so to Webster's 1828 dictionary I went...
Every: (a)
Each individual of a whole collection or aggregate number. The word includes the whole number, but each separately stated or considered.
Thing :(n)
An event or action; that which happens or falls out, or that which is done, told or proposed.
Any substance; that which is created; any particular article or commodity.
An animal; as every living thing; every creeping thing.
A portion or part; something.
Every is an adjective, so it's describing something. Every little thing, every nook and cranny, every thing put together into a group, not counted individually.
Thing is a noun, the subject of the every; what the every is describing; said thing.
"Things" are actions, events, created items, living beings, a portion or part.
It is not very descriptive-this word-thing-leaving the mind open for vast wanderings all it's own.
Thing...
Next I look at Scripture to see how it's used.
Genesis 1:31a
"And God saw every thing that He had made, and , behold, it was very good."
God saw ALL He'd created. The earth, sun, moon, stars, sky, mountains, oceans, and the vast and wide variety of plant life and animal life, and man created in His very image, everything; and He calls it VERY GOOD- EVERY THING He created. The vast, mind blowing creation that was all spoken into being, is "very good"-everything is very good-every thing!
Psalm 145:6
"Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfied the desire of every living thing."
God opens His hand and satisfies the desire of EVERY LIVING THING!!
Every plant, every animal, every microscopic organism, every atom, every human being. He satisfies their desires-and only the awesome God that created the universe could satisfy every living things desire(s) so perfectly!
Psalm 150:6
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."
David here declares that every thing that has breath should praise the Lord. Again, everything encompasses the animals and mankind. We praise Him with our voices, being made in the image of God are given the blessing and ability to praise our creator with the bodies He's fashioned.
Animals praise God with tier voices too.
Plant life praises Him in it;s own way by making the food for every thing that has breath and by making the air through photosynthesis for the thing to have the breath to praise!
God's creation truly is amazing!
Ecclesiastes 3:1
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
Here we go over the seasons in life-to every thing there is a season. Every plant is given a growing/producing season, every animal has their season of life, and every human being has "seasons" in life of various kinds; along with the season of a life time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11a
"He hath made every thing beautiful in His time:..."
Here beauty is brought into the every thing conversation.
Everything, beautiful, in His time, every thing, even though we don't see it, even though it's dark and hard, everything is made beautiful in His perfect time!
Ephesians 5:24
"Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let wives be to their own husbands in every thing."
Here's the hard one!
I'm not married so, needless to say, I don't have a husband but I do have a father that I love and respect and calls me obey him. Though the every thing in this verse is hard, trying, difficult, and sometimes almost unbearable, God calls us to it, to the best of our ability through Christ. His grace is sufficient!
Philippians 4:6
"Be careful in nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Presenting every thing to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving-our requests are to be set before His throne in this way, our worries and concerns, our deepest longings and desires, our cherished hopes, our secret dreams, and daily needs; every thing presented to God, the creator of every thing, who opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
"In ever thine give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
The big things, the little things, the joyful and mundane, the difficult and easy, the rising and setting; every thing, give thanks, in every thing; so hard but so necessary!
Every thing; that overwheling, over powering, crushing phrase; here seems to have fallen into little pieces.
Every Thing
Every thing that needs to be done is in God's hands.
He sees every thing because He created every thing!
He satisfies ALL those needs, by opening His hand.
Which in turn brings ALL creation to praise Him for how He satisfies, even the smallest or trivial of our needs-those "every things" that over whelm and suffocate; He cares for them.
The seasons around us and in our lives, He sees and directs.
Every thing is in His loving Creator hands-this should be the greatest comfort to His children!
Remember He's promised to make it all beautiful in His time!!
The rose will bloom on the appointed day, the harvest will be gathered in it's season, the moon will wax and wane, the sun will rise and set and trails and joys come and go. Everything is made beautiful in His time; every thing!
Marriage; the picture of our oneness, unity, and obedience with our groom, Savior Christ, is made beautiful in His time.
We are blessed to be able to present all these every things to Christ through our tools of prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. For once in His hands, He satisfies every living thing and makes all things beautiful in His time.
Most importantly , in EVERYTHING give thanks!
Every
Each individual of a whole collection or
aggregate number. The word includes the whole number, but each
separately stated or considered.
Thing
An event or action; that which happens or falls out, or that which is done, told or proposed.
Any substance; that which is created; any particular article or commodity.
An animal; as every living thing; every creeping thing.
A portion or part; something.
Give Thanks!
I pray that the "every things" surrounding you are brought to their proper perspective through the eyes of Scripture.
May the Lord Jesus bless you in everything!
