Providence

Examples of Providence

Ps 115:16 The heavens are the LORD's, but He has given the earth to man.
Ps 116:1-15 I love the LORD because He hears my prayers. Therefore, I will call to Him so long as I live. Death comes close with its terrors, distress and sorrow are all I find. Then I call on the name of the LORD. "LORD, I beg you to save my life!" He is both gracious and righteous. Indeed, He is compassionate. He preserves the simple. When I was brought low, He saved me. Be at rest, my soul, for the LORD has blessed you greatly. You, LORD, have rescued my soul from death, and wiped the tears from my eyes. You have prevented me from stumbling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed when I said, "I am greatly afflicted." In my alarm, I yet knew that all men are liars. What could I possibly give to the LORD for all He has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon His name. I will pay my vows to Him in the presence of all His people. Precious in His sight is the death of His godly ones.
Ps 118:5-6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and He answered me, setting me in a large place. The LORD is for me. I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Ps 122:9 For the sake of the LORD's house I will seek your good.
Ps 127:1-5 Unless the LORD builds the house, the effort of building is vain. Unless HE guards the city, watchmen will be useless. It is pointless to get up so early and stay up so late, to eat only by painful labor, for He gives to His beloved sleep. Children are His gift to you, a reward. They are like the warrior's arrows for you, to have many children is a blessing. They will never be shamed when they speak with their enemies.
Ps 128:2-6 When you eat what you have produced, you will be happy and well. Your wife will be fruitful, and your children will surround your table. Thus He blesses the man who fears Him. May the LORD bless you from Zion, that you see Jerusalem prosperous all your days. May you live to see your grandchildren. Peace be upon Israel!
Ps 135:6-12 God does what He likes where He likes. He makes the fog, the lightning, and the rain. HE brings the winds. He killed the first-born of man and beast alike in Egypt. He sent signs and wonders into Egypt, on Pharaoh and his servants. He crushed many nations, and killed mighty kings, all the kingdoms of Canaan. Their lands He gave to His people Israel as a heritage.
Ps 136:5-25 He made the heavens skillfully, and spread the earth upon the waters. He made the sun to rule the day, and the moon and stars for the night. He killed the first-born of Egypt, and took Israel from among them by His strong arm. He divided the Red Sea so that Israel could pass through, but Pharaoh and his army were overthrown there. He led His people through the wilderness, slaying kings before them so that He could give Israel His servant their lands for a heritage. He remembered us when we were oppressed, and rescued us from our enemies. He gives food to all creatures. All these things show that His lovingkindness is eternal, so give thanks to the God of heaven.
Ps 144:12-15 May our sons be strong like full grown plants, and our daughters be as the corner pillars in the palace. May our harvest be full of all kinds of produce, and may our flocks multiply. Let our cattle bear without loss, and give us peace in our streets. How blessed are those in this situation; How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Ps 145:15-16 All eyes are on You, and You give every creature its food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing. [Thou, Desire of all Creation]
Ps 146:7-9 You give justice to the oppressed, and food to the hungry. You free the prisoners. You open the blind eyes, and raise up the humbled. You, LORD, love the righteous, and protect strangers. You support the orphan and the widow, thwarting the plans of the wicked.
Ps 147:8-9 You cover the skies with clouds, providing rain for the earth to make the grass green on the mountains. You give the animals food, and satisfy the crying ravens.
Ps 147:13-14 He has strengthened your gates, and blessed your sons as well as yourself. He makes peace in your borders, and satisfies you with the best of wheat.

 

New Thoughts

Combine Psalm 135:6 with the recurring thought of Psalm 136. God does what He will where He will, and all that He does shows His eternal lovingkindness. All that He does (and He does all) is cause for His children to give thanks to Him. A worldly eye will look at the list of His accomplishments as they are presented in these Psalms, and declare that they could not possibly worship such a cruel God. Yet, in this they fail to look at the nature of those whom God punished.

All of these cultures that He moved to destroy were cultures of death. Egypt was a proud nation willing to work its slaves to the point of death and beyond. They placed little value on any life other than their own. The Canaanites barely valued even their own lives. They had shown themselves all too willing to sacrifice their own progeny to their so-called Gods. Again, these cultures showed a much higher regard for death than for life. In a rather fitting bit of irony, they received what they so hotly pursued.

This is God's tendency in dealing with unrepentant sinners. In His justice, it seems that more often than not those that refuse His offer of peace will instead receive what they have shown themselves to seek most ardently. It's the law of sowing and reaping. We cannot expect a vegetable garden to grow if all we are planting are weeds. As true as this is in the physical realm, it is at least equally true in the spiritual. If we are not planting our spiritual fields with good seed, with seed that can bear good fruit, then we cannot expect to find good fruit in our spirit.

If we are studying our Scriptures constantly, yet never taking them to heart, we have not yet planted. We can expect no fruit from such a labor. If we obediently attend church, but don't pay any particular attention to what is taught, we have accomplished nothing for life. The heart determines, not the outward show. I think this is more what Jesus was addressing when He instructed His disciples than matters of secrecy. He told them to pray in secret to the Father not because He wanted them to be quiet about their faith, but because He wanted prayer to be sincere. The issue with the Pharisees was not that they didn't express their religion, it was that their religion was only in the show. Pride had overtaken them, and they no longer walked humbly before their LORD, they paraded their 'good works' before Him while their inner self remained a stinking ruin. So, also, with fasting. It was not so much a matter of hiding the fact that one was fasting, as keeping the fast in earnest. This was not to become an opportunity to say, "Look at me! See how I allow myself to suffer for God!" The minute that 'look at me' attitude settles in, all righteousness is gone.

Lord, everything is Yours, and You have made it all skillfully. Much of what You have created, I can look upon and see the wonder of Your skillful work. Other times, I confess it seems to my senses as though You had made a few mistakes in the work. Yet, the truth remains with You, and not with me. You have indeed made it most skillfully. In those places where it seems broken to me, Lord, would You open my eyes to see truly?

Lord, I know You are for me. I know I need fear nothing that man can do. And yet, I would be lying to Your face if I were to claim I have no concern for my future at this point in my life. It is hard for me to be in this place of uncertainty. Yet, even as I write this, I am assured that You have me in training, training to depend more fully on Your grace. I should be thankful for the way You have freed me up to be of service in the present outreach of the church. And I am. Truly I am.

At the same time, though, You have placed me in positions of responsibility. I have responsibilities to fulfill in supporting this family You have blessed me with, in maintaining this house You have blessed me with. I have responsibilities in doing right by those I presently work with and for, until that relationship is ended. Oh, but by what power do I, can I, fulfill any of these responsibilities? It is by Your hand, as it always has been. It is in Your power alone that I can fulfill any of these tasks You have blessed me with.

I am reminded once more that You prepare the works for me to do beforehand, and You prepare me beforehand to be ready for the works. You prepare my heart to be willing to do the work You have for me. Never have I seen the righteous forsaken by You, my King. Never. Trials may come, and certainly there will be times when we know sorrow, yet You are ever with us. You ever follow the hard times with blessings.

Behold, You are my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For You, Lord my God, are my strength and my shield. You also have become my salvation! Let me hold these thoughts in my heart today, and in the coming days, my Lord. Fill me with Your truth, that the trials of the day may not overwhelm me. My Rock, my strong tower, I run to You in this time of trial, and I know You will answer my cry. Thank You, Lord.