The Providence of God Part 4

As we looked at our submission to the Providence of God last time, His purpose in things, to see to it that His will would come to reality, we learned that we lean not on our own understanding, but on His, He knows the end from the beginning, the One who works all things together for good, for those who love Him. And though that can be excruciatingly hard, we know that He will not give us a test or trial that we can't bear under or go through successfully.(1Cor.10:13) That we can have a believing silence, an inner quietness, a constant tranquility to hang onto knowing our good, majestic, and righteous God holds all things in His hands, that He does all things well, and does all things according to what He believes best for us, to mature our faith, build us up in trusting Him, and to fit us for our heavenly home.

We can certainly think of no one better than He to govern the world as the One who created it. We have great hope that our God will never leave us or forsake us, (Heb.13:5) One who is always for us and never against us, (Rom.8:31) One who always rejoices over us to do us good. (Jer.32:41) The covenant people of God have great comfort that He is our God, and we are His people. English Puritan Obadiah Sedgwick states, "No good man ever lacked anything that was good for him. I may lack a thing which is good, but not which is good for me." Psalm 84:11 promises that "No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." He guards and protects us with a special care, as Psalm 103:13,"As a father has compassion on his children, so our Heavenly Father has compassion upon those who fear Him."

English Puritan Thomas Boston gives 7 straight purposes for crooked providences, "1) To prove your spiritual state as a hypocrite or genuine believer, 2) To stir you to obedience, wean you from this world, and set your eyes on Heaven, 3) To convict you of sin, 4) To correct or punish you for sin, 5) To prevent you from committing sin, 6) To reveal latent sin (sin you are capable of committing but have not yet) deep within your heart, 7) To awaken you from laziness so that you exercise yourself in grace." The church, Pastors, lay people are like a ship at sea, the waves and winds batter against it to bring it down, but our God is at the helm, and the Great Shepherd as our Captain powerfully and lovingly guides it and preserves it. Our stormy path one day will become a haven, a place where sorrow cannot live, and joy cannot die.

Practically we can meditate on God's providence, our faith is propped up, our faith is tested, and our faith is strengthened by having seen what God has done in the past. You will look back and see God's mighty power and loving care see you through all the high seas. A way to do this is record the providences of God in your life. How has He shown Himself strong in the past? How has He shown Himself wise in the past? How has He shown Himself caring in the past? English Puritan John Flavel states, "Providence carries our lives, liberties, and concernments in its hand every moment. Your bread is in its cupboard, your money in its purse, your safety in its enfolding arms, and sure it is the least part of what you owe, to record the favors you receive at its hands."

This concludes our study on the Providence of God.

Elder Randy Slak
09/04/2024