A century ago, Spanish Influenza hit the small Ohio town when Richard was still a toddler, sickening the child. The doctor pronounced little hope and instructed his parents to put him in a back room, not feed him, and wait for his inevitable death. Hearing Richard’s heartrending cries, each of them snuck into the room with water and food, and the boy recovered. He lived to the age of 88.

And he…told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 5:43

When Jesus came to the house of the Roman ruler, He took compassion on the parents of a girl who had died. Christ spoke to her and she lived. Her parents and others were so overcome with relief and amazement that Jesus had to remind them to give the girl something to eat.

One of the things God calls believers in Him to do is to be practical: feed the hungry, care for the sick and ailing, and watch over widows and orphans. These are jobs given to people in Christian churches, but too often, they have been abdicated to the government. As you pray today, consider what the Lord wants you to do – practicably speaking. Then pray for Congress as it wrestles with government entitlement programs.

Recommended Reading: James 1:16-27