“Did you have a glass of orange juice this morning?”

“Yes.”

“It came from God.”

Hmm. That’s a nice, pious thought. “Well, actually, I got it from the carton of orange juice in the refrigerator.”

“Yes, but where did the carton of orange juice come from?”

“I bought it at the store.”

“And where did the store get it?”

“From the orange juice distributor, I suppose.”

And so the questions could continue . . . the distributor got it from the company that makes orange juice, which got it from the orange grove, which got it from the orange trees . . . but it really was God who provided it. He caused the seed to germinate and sprout and grow into an orange tree. He caused the sun to shine and the rain to fall and the ground to provide nutrients so that the tree could grow and produce blossoms and fruit. He caused the fruit to have a skin that protected the orange wedges that contained the juice and the pulp.

Why does God give us orange juice? It’s just one of countless ways by which God provides for us. Orange juice quenches our thirst. It provides us with vitamins. It tastes good. But orange juice is a secondary cause. God himself is the first cause.

God is the primary cause

How does that work exactly? Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” The architect designed the house; someone invented the backhoe to dig the hole; the block-layers manipulated the trowels, blocks, and cement; the carpenters measured the boards and wielded the hammers and saws; but it was the Lord who built the house. The Lord made the materials for the blocks and cement. The Lord made the trees from which the lumber was taken. The Lord gave the block-layers and the carpenters arms, hands, and various skills to do the building. It was the Lord who built the house. He simply used a variety of materials and workers to serve his purpose.