“We know that God causes all things to work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
- Romans 8:28
We will be better prepared for what God teaches us through
trials if we have a basic understanding of His providence.
I believe it is vital that all Christians have an essential
awareness of God’s providence if they want to be fully prepared to cope with
life’s adversity. Providence is how He orchestrates, through natural means and
processes, all things necessary to accomplish His purposes in the world. It is
the most frequent way He works and controls the daily course of human events.
The only other means the Lord uses to intervene in the flow of history is
miracles. But He does not perform miracles in the same way now as He did during
the days of Christ, the apostles, and the prophets. However, God has
continuously used providence from eternity past to coordinate the infinite
variety of factors necessary to accomplish His perfect purpose.
Think about it. The vast scope and endless outworking of
divine providence, in which God draws together millions of details and
circumstances to achieve His will each day, is a far greater miracle than the
relatively uncomplicated, one-time supernatural occurrences that we usually
term miracles. Belief in God’s providence is, therefore, one of the greatest
exercises of faith we can have and a major contributor to our general
preparedness and peace of mind as we encounter trials and hardships.
Paul trusted wholeheartedly in the providence of God, no
matter how easy or challenging life was (Phil. 4:11). Joseph the patriarch
stated his confidence in providence this way: “You [his brothers] meant evil
against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result,
to preserve many people alive” (Gen. 50:20). Until we come to a similar
acceptance of God’s providential control of everything, we will not fully
realize the rich lessons He wants to teach us through trials, and we will not
be able to apply the truth of Romans 8:28.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank the Lord that His providence is always at work for
your benefit. If this concept is new to you, ask Him to help you understand it
better through His Word.
For Further Study:
Read more about Joseph in Genesis 39—50. Jot down some of
his positive character traits. What events in the narrative were possible only
because of providence?
By John MacArthur http://www.gty.org/
By John MacArthur http://www.gty.org/
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