February 14

Morning

And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life. — 2 Kgs 25:30 BSB

Jehoiachin wasn’t sent away from the king’s palace with provisions for months at a time; instead, he received his provision daily, as a regular pension. This is a beautiful picture of the blessed position of all the Lord’s people. A daily portion is all we truly need. We don’t need tomorrow’s supplies today—tomorrow’s needs haven’t even arrived yet. We don’t feel the thirst we might have in June during February, because that thirst hasn’t come yet. If we have what we need for each day as it comes, we’ll never experience lack. Each day’s sufficiency is all we can really enjoy.

We can’t eat, drink, or wear more than what is needed for the day. Having more than that only adds the burden of storing it and the anxiety of guarding against loss. A single staff helps a traveler, but a bundle of staffs is a heavy load. Enough is just as good as a feast, and it’s all we should expect. Wanting more than enough shows ingratitude.

When God doesn’t give us more than our daily portion, we should be content with that.

Like Jehoiachin, we have a certain portion: a royal portion given by the King, a gracious portion, and a continual portion. There’s plenty of reason to be thankful.

Dear Christian, when it comes to grace, you need a daily portion as well. You have no reservoir of grace stored up. You must seek it daily. It’s comforting to know that God provides for us day by day. Through His Word, through prayer, and by waiting on Him, you will receive renewed strength. In Jesus, all that you need is stored up for you. Enjoy your daily allowance—don’t go spiritually hungry when the bread of grace is set on the table of mercy! “Give us each day—our daily bread.” (Luke 11:3)

Evening

Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched Him and how she had immediately been healed. — Luke 8:47 BSB

Tonight, we reflect on one of the most touching and instructive of the Savior’s miracles. The woman in this story was ignorant in many ways. She believed that healing power came out of Jesus automatically, without His knowledge or will. She didn’t yet understand the generosity of Jesus, or she wouldn’t have tried to sneak up behind Him to steal the cure that He was so ready to give. When we’re in misery, we should never hesitate to come directly to mercy. If she had known the love in Jesus’ heart, she would have thought, “I only need to come where He can see me. His compassion will know my need, and His love will heal me.”

We admire her faith, but we’re amazed at her ignorance. Even after she was healed, she trembled. She was happy to be healed, but she was afraid that Jesus might take back the blessing. Little did she understand the depth of His love!

Though our view of Jesus may not be as clear as we’d like, we can be sure of this: He is far too kind to take back the gift He’s given to a trembling soul. No matter how little we may understand Him, if our faith is real, it saves us—instantly. There’s no long wait—faith works immediately. Even if our faith is as small as a mustard seed, salvation is already ours.

Even if we’re the weakest of the Lord’s children, once we’re in His family, no power—human or demonic—can take us away from Him. Even if we don’t have the confidence to lean on His chest like John did, if we can just reach out to touch the hem of His garment, we are healed. Take heart, timid soul! Your faith has saved you—go in peace! "Being justified by faith—we have peace with God."