I’m sad the pastors we called didn’t take the call to Concordia. Every week in Sunday School for what feels like forever we pray for a new pastor. In our prayers at home, we pray for a pastor at Concordia. We’re asking for a good, God pleasing thing. So why hasn’t God provided yet?
I’ve been listening through Numbers lately. I listened to the account of the quail in Numbers 11. God was already providing the people manna for their food related needs. Yet, they complained and wanted meat. They were so focused on what they wanted, they lamented the gift God daily provided them.
It can be easy to focus on what we want rather than what God is providing us at Concordia. We want a new called pastor. We want a spiritual leader, those are good things. God has blessed us with Pastor Fangmeyer. The parts of his sermons I catch are beneficial and good. He brings us the forgiveness of sins and the Sacraments every week. He preaches God’s Word to us. He is a faithful undershepherd caring for us at Concordia. We can thank God he is willing to care for us and serve us. We also pray that God continues to support Pastor Fangmeyer in every need of body and soul.
We’ve had other faithful and caring pastors who have helped us as well. While we continue to pray for a called pastor to our church, we can thank God for the pastors he provides to us to feed and nurture our spiritual life every Sunday. Even if it isn’t exactly the way we want it, God provides for us. One Lutheran Study Bible notes says, “As Job noted, ‘The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away.’ In all circumstances, the LORD leads us to confess, ‘Blessed be the name of the LORD’ for He truly does bless us and supply our needs. Father, with our daily bread, grant us faithful hearts, ever set on You. Amen.” (234)