Psalm 145: 15-16 NKJV
The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Rest in the Season of Your Need
MY NOTES
“The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:15–16 (NKJV)
These verses feel like a deep breath of trust. David looks out at the world—every creature, every person, every living thing—and sees one shared posture: eyes lifted toward God. Creation knows where provision comes from. Instinctively, dependently, expectantly, everything looks to Him.
And God responds.
Not reluctantly.
Not sparingly.
Not occasionally.
He opens His hand.
In Psalm 145:15-16, David uses this breathtaking imagery to describe the entire universe. He pulls back the curtain on creation and reveals that the planet is not a chaotic machine left to run on its own. Instead, the earth is a massive dining room, all of creation stands around the table like a hopeful family, and God Himself is the ultimate Provider.
Just like he did earlier in this Psalm, David’s meditation brings him so close to the heart of God that he shifts his language to the deeply personal “You” and “Your.” He is standing face-to-face with the Provider, watching Him feed the universe.
Look at how our Father meets our deepest, most urgent needs:
1. The Posture of Expectation (“The eyes of all look expectantly”)
David notes that the eyes of all look expectantly to God. In a natural sense, the birds of the air and the beasts of the field inherently turn to their Creator for survival. But in a deeper, spiritual sense, this is the blueprint for the child of God.
To look expectantly means to wait with a posture of quiet faith. When we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are taking our place in the flock. We stop looking at our bank accounts, our employers, or our own intellect as our ultimate source. We look past the resources and fix our eyes directly on the Source.
2. The Perfection of Timing (“In due season”)
One of the hardest parts of faith is waiting. But notice the absolute punctuality of God: He gives food in due season.
Sometimes, we experience a season of spiritual or physical hunger where we wonder if God has forgotten us. But Bible scholars remind us that the word season can mean “in His time.” God is a wise steward. He knows exactly when you need a financial breakthrough, a word of comfort, or a deeper revelation of His grace. He is never a second late.
3. The Ease of His Hand (“You open Your hand”)
Think about how much energy we expend trying to manufacture satisfaction. We scheme, worry, work ourselves to exhaustion, and manipulate environments just to get what we want. Yet, how does the Almighty sustain billions of creatures and millions of souls? He doesn’t stress, labor, or struggle. He simply opens His hand. His supply is so vast, and His heart is so generous, that the mere opening of His palm easily, promptly, and completely satisfies the deep longings of our hearts.
With a single, effortless movement of the divine hand, all of creation is sustained. The same hand that holds the stars in place opens wide to dispense grace, peace, forgiveness, and hope. The hand of His grace is never clenched, never closed, and never empty while you live.
4. The Satisfaction of Desire (“And satisfy the desire of every living thing”)
If God has placed a spiritual hunger inside you—a desire for more of His presence, more holiness, or deep comfort—that hunger is not meant to torture you. A holy desire is actually a prophecy of coming satisfaction. God excites the longing in your soul specifically so that you will seek Him and be filled.
Every living thing has needs. Every living thing has desires. And God has the supply. In the realm of nature, He feeds every creature. In the realm of grace, He satisfies every spiritual longing He Himself awakens.
If He stirs a desire for more of Him, He will satisfy it.
If He awakens hunger for righteousness, He will fill it.
If He draws you to seek Him, He will meet you.
Your longing is not a burden to Him—it’s an invitation He delights to answer.
Prayer
Abba Father, my eyes are looking expectantly to You today. Forgive me for the times I panic, trying to force my own timing or secure my own supply. Teach me the patient nature of the creatures who wait on You without worry. Thank You that You know my needs before I even ask. I trust Your “due season” for my life, believing that You will provide exactly what I need at the perfect moment. Open Your hand of grace over my heart today. Satisfy my spiritual hunger with Your presence, and give me the grace to rest in Your abundant goodness. I ask for these things in the wonderful name of Jesus, Amen.
Cross References (NKJV)
Psalm 104:27–28
“These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
What You give them they gather;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.”
Psalm 136:25
“Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.”
Matthew 6:11
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Luke 12:42
“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?’”
Key Takeaways
All creation instinctively looks to God for provision—and He never disappoints.
God gives what we need in due season, at the perfect time.
His hand is open, generous, and overflowing with goodness.
Every true spiritual desire awakened by God will be satisfied by God.
Waiting on God is not passive—it is hopeful, confident expectation.
You can trust Him with every need, every longing, every season.
Things to Think About
- What am I currently “waiting expectantly” for God to provide?
- How has God given me what I needed “in due season” in the past?
- What desires has God awakened in me that only He can satisfy?
- Where am I tempted to look elsewhere instead of lifting my eyes to Him?
- What does God’s “open hand” mean for my trust, my fears, and my daily life?
Proverb for Today
When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7 NKJV
Daily Scripture
Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
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Summary of Commentaries:
Picture the entire universe as a giant, hungry family looking up at dinner time. These commentaries remind us that God is the ultimate, loving Father who feeds everyone—from tiny insects to our needy souls—perfectly on time. He doesn’t make things complicated; He simply opens His generous hand. If He has placed a deep, spiritual desire inside your heart today, it is a truly sure promise that He is ready to satisfy it completely.
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
The eyes of all wait upon thee.” They have learned to look to thee: it has become their nature to turn to thee for all they want. As children look to a father for all they need, so do the creatures look to God, the all-sufficient Provider. It were well if all men had the eye of faith, and if all waited therewith upon the Lord.
“And thou givest them their meat in due season.” They wait, and God gives. The thought of this brings God so near to our poet prophet that he is again speaking with God after the style of thee and thou. Is it to be wondered at when the Lord is feeding the hungry all around us—giving food to all creatures, and to ourselves among them? Like a flock of sheep, the creatures stand around the Lord as their great Shepherd; all eyes are to his hand, expecting to receive their food; nor are they disappointed, for when the hour comes, suitable provender is ready for each creature. Observe the punctuality of the Lord in giving food at meal-time—in the season when it is due. This he does for all, and each living thing has its own season, so that the Lord of heaven is feeding his great flock both by day and by night, during every moment of time.
“Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” You alone provide, O Jehovah! Thou doest it liberally, with open hand; thou doest it easily, as if it were only to open thine hand; thou doest this at once as promptly as if all supplies were ready to hand. Living things have needs, and these create desires; the living God has suitable supplies at hand, and these he gives till inward satisfaction is produced, and the creature sighs no longer. In spiritual things, when God has raised a desire, he always gratifies it; hence the longing is prophetic of the blessing. In no case is the desire of the living thing excited to produce distress, but in order that it may seek and find satisfaction.
These verses refer to natural providence, but they may equally well apply to the stores of grace, since the same God is king in both spheres. If we will but wait upon the Lord for pardon, renewing, or whatever else we need, we shall not wait in vain. The hand of grace is never closed while the sinner lives.
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Enduring Word
The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. The humble put their expectation on God, looking to Him for their needs. They pray, give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), and God answers their prayer in due season. (Guzik)
i. Most commentators connect this with the words every living thing that follow, and see that all creation is in view. “What a fine figure! The young of all animals look up to their parents for food. God is here represented as the universal Father, providing food for every living creature.” (Clarke)
ii. “He condescends to the needs of his creatures…[this shows] the beauty of Yahweh’s condescension to the needs of his people.” (VanGemeren)
You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing: God’s care for creation extends beyond His provision for men and women. As Jesus would later say, God also cares for the birds and the grass of the field (Matthew 6:26-30). God does this with a wonderfully open hand and heart to His creation. (Guzik)
i. As we take in David’s amazing description of God, we see how different Yahweh (the true and living God) is compared to the idols of the nations. Those supposed gods were often angry and petulant, caring little for either humanity or creation. We are surprised and grateful for the love and care from the God who is really there. (Guzik)
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Albert Barnes
The eyes of all wait upon thee – Margin, Look unto thee. All creatures, on the land, in the air, in the waters; all in heaven; all throughout the universe. That is, it is as if all directed their eyes to thee imploringly for the supply of their needs. To no one else can they look for those things which are needful for them. A universe thus looks every day, every hour, every moment, to its God! How sublime the scene!
And thou givest them their meat in due season – See the notes at Psalms 104:27, where the same words occur.
Thou openest thine hand – By the mere opening of the hand, all needful gifts are bestowed on the creatures dependent on thee. The same words are found in Psalms 104:28; see the notes at that passage.
And satisfiest the desire of every living thing – All kinds of creatures – people, fowls, beasts, fishes, insects – the innumerable multitudes that swarm on the earth, in the air, in the waters. In Psalms 104:28, it is, “They are filled with good.” The meaning is essentially the same. Of course, this is to be taken in a general sense. It cannot mean that absolutely no one ever needs, or ever perishes from want, but the idea is that of the amazing beneficence and fullness of God in being able and willing to satisfy such multitudes, to keep them from perishing by cold, or hunger, or nakedness. And, in fact, how few birds perish by hunger; how few of the infinite number of the inhabitants of the sea; how few animals that roam over deserts, or in vast plains; how few people; how few even of the insect tribes – how few in the world revealed by the microscope – the world beneath us – the innumerable multitudes of living things too small even to be seen by the naked eye of man!
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John Gill
The eyes of all wait upon thee,…. Not of all creatures, the beasts of the field, the fishes of the sea, and fowls of the air, as in Psalm 104:27; but of all the Lord’s people, who are subject to fall and be depressed: these, as they look unto him for deliverance and salvation, and wait upon him for it, and expect it from him; so their eyes are directed to him for their spiritual food, as well as for their temporal bread, and ask it of him, and wait to have it from him:
And thou givest them their meat in due season; the meat which endures to everlasting life; the flesh of Christ, which is meat indeed; the doctrines of the Gospel, which, as some of them are milk for babes, others are meat for strong men, or strong meat for experienced believers: and these are given forth under Christ’s direction, by his ministering servants, who are his wise and faithful stewards, that give to everyone of the family their portion of meat in due season, which is the word fitly spoken; and, when it is so, how good it is! Luke 12:42. This is food convenient for them, given out “in his time”, as in the original; either in the Lord’s time, which he sees best; or in their time, as the Syriac version, when they most need it, and it will do them most good.
Thou openest thine hand,…. Not of providence, but of grace, in which all things are, and from whence they come; and which the Lord opens liberally and bountifully, and gives out all things richly to enjoy; all things pertaining to life and godliness; grace here, with all the supplies of it, and glory hereafter:
And satisfiest the desire of every living thing; not of every savage creature; every lion, bear, wolf, &c. for then there would be no living in some parts of the world: nor of every carnal, lustful, worldly, and covetous man; who never say they have enough, or are ever satisfied: but of everyone that is made spiritually alive, quickened by the Spirit and grace of God; these desire spiritual things, spiritual food, more grace and more communion with God, and conformity to Christ; and these desires are before the Lord; and sooner or later they are satisfied, they have what they desire; especially this will be their case, when they awake in the divine likeness. The words may be rendered, “and satisfies every living one with that which is acceptable [with] favor”; with good will; with lovingkindness; which is better than life: so Naphtali is said to be “satisfied with favor,” Deuteronomy 33:23; as all living saints are or will be.
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Matthew Henry
For all the creatures in general (v. 15, 16): He provides food for all flesh, and therein appears his everlasting mercy, Ps. 136:25. All the creatures live upon God, and, as they had their being from him at first, so from him they have all the supports of their being and on him they depend for the continuance of it.
[1.] The eye of their expectation attends upon him: The eyes of all wait on thee. The inferior creatures indeed have not the knowledge of God, nor are capable of it, and yet they are said to wait upon God, because they seek their food according to the instinct which the God of nature has put into them (and they sow not, neither do they reap, Mt. 6:26), and because they take what the God of nature has provided for them, in the time and way that he has appointed, and are content with it.
[2.] The hand of his bounty is stretched out to them: Thou givest them their meat in due season, the meat proper for them, and in the proper time, when they need it; so that none of the creatures ordinarily perish for want of food, no, not in the winter. Thou openest thy hand freely and liberally, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing, except some of the unreasonable children of men, that will be satisfied with nothing, but are still complaining, still crying, Give, give.
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Miscellaneous Comments
“Thou satisfiest the desire,” etc. God does not give grudgingly. It seems to be a characteristic of the divine nature, both in the natural and moral world, to raise desires, not with a view to disappoint, but to satisfy them. O, what a consoling thought is this! If there be any desires in us which are not satisfied, it is through their being self-created ones, which is our own fault; or through artificial scarcity from men’s luxury, which is the fault of our species. God raises no desires as our Creator, but he gives enough to satisfy them, and none as our Redeemer and Sanctifier but what shall be actually satisfied. O the wonderful munificence of God! “How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!”
—Andrew Fuller.
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