“Happy birthday,” Martha said to my husband. She had been to the house earlier in the day and had learned it was his birthday. She told us that God had instructed her to give him an original painting that was her own work, but first she shared the beautiful poem she had written about a homeless man. When Martha had finished reading the moving poem, she turned the painting around for us to see. Everyone there gasped. The man in the painting, that she had painted years ago, was identical to the man we had just fed supper. She had left before he had arrived, and he was long gone before she came back.

How could she have painted this man years before we had even met him? 

He was a kind man. We talked about the Lord and shared our spaghetti with him. I remember he commented that it was a little bland. I agreed and said, “We do the best we can with what we have. God is faithful to provide.” He asked me if I wanted some Italian herbs to add to the sauce next time and I agreed that would be nice. The conversation turned to other things and before I knew it, he had left.

Who was he? I may never know, but I wonder... Was he just a random homeless man or even an angel?

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! (Hebrews 13:1-2 NLT)

All I know is I had never seen him before nor after this event.

God is so faithful. Angel or man, God heard my conversation with him. Shortly after this happened, a friend who knew nothing of this story contacted me and said, “God put you on my heart and told me to clean out my freezer and give the meat to you. He also told me to give you my big container of Italian herbs and some other spices.”

I was astonished again that God cared about me so much to be in the details. He did not want me to just eat. He wanted me to enjoy what He provided!

He did not stop with just instructing us to eat; He also made it enjoyable.

Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.” Genesis 1:29

God did not have to make it taste good. The very fact that we can enjoy what we eat is evidence of His love for us and for everyone. He wants us to share that love.

Hebrews 13 is full of instructions. It starts with loving others, then goes on to tell us how. What a blessing!

Romans 13:8-10 puts it this way:

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Prayer: Help us to love like You do. Help us to grow closer to You—and help us to appreciate all the little things You have done out of Your love for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.