Providence

Examples of Providence

Pr 2:21 The blameless will remain in the land, living in it.
Pr 3:1-2 Don't forget these lessons. Keep my commandments in your heart, for they will lengthen your life, and give you peace.
Pr 10:22 The LORD's blessing makes you rich, and He mixes no sorrow with it.
Pr 10:27 Fear of the LORD makes for long life, but the wicked will have their lives shortened.
Pr 11:10-11 When the righteous are doing well, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, glad shouts arise. The city is exalted by the blessing of the upright, but torn down by the words of the wicked.
Pr 11:31 If the righteous are rewarded in this life, certainly the wicked sinner will be, too.
Pr 13:25 The righteous man knows his appetite satisfied, but the wicked will be in want.
Pr 14:11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the house of the upright will flourish.
Pr 14:19 The evil will bow before the good, at the gates of righteousness.
Pr 14:34 Righteousness makes a nation great, but sin disgraces any nation.
Pr 15:6 Wealth abounds in the house of the righteous, but the wicked are paid in troubles.
Pr 16:7 When we please the LORD, He makes even our enemies to be at peace with us.
Pr 16:9 Men may plan, but the LORD directs.
Pr 28:10 The one who misleads the righteous will fall in his own trap, but the blameless will inherit good.
Ecc 2:24-26 The best a man can do is eat and drink, telling himself that his labor is good. This is what I have found to be true: that this is from the hand of God. For how could one eat or enjoy life without Him? To those whom He finds good, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But, to the sinner He gives labors of gathering and collecting so that they can give to the good. The sinner's lot is indeed as futile as trying to catch the wind.
Ecc 3:13 Every man that eats and drinks sees that his labors are worthwhile. This is a gift of God.
Ecc 5:19 When God gives a man riches, He also allows that man to eat from his riches, to be joyfully rewarded in his labors. This is also a gift of God.
Isa 1:19 If you obey, you will eat from the best produce of the land.
Isa 25:4 You are a defense for the helpless, for the needy in times of trouble. You are a refuge from the storm, shade in the heat. But the breath of the ruthless comes like a storm against the wall.
Isa 30:23-26 He will water the seed you sow, so that the ground will yield plentiful bread. Your livestock will graze in rich pastures, and the oxen and donkeys that work with you will have salted fodder, well winnowed. Every mountain and hill will have streams of water in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall. And the moon will be as bright as the sun, while the sun's own light will increase seven-fold on the day that the LORD binds up His fractured people and heals the bruises He has brought upon them.
Isa 33:16 He will dwell on the mountains, his refuge, impregnable rock. His bread will be given to him, and his water will be in sure supply.
Isa 43:20 Field animals will glorify Me, even jackals and ostriches, because I water the wilderness, making rivers in the desert, so that My chosen people may drink.
Isa 46:3-4 Listen, you remnant of Israel, You who are born by Me from birth, and have been carried in the womb: Even to your old age, I shall not change. When your head is gray with your years, still I shall bear you! It has been My doing, and I shall carry you, I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you. [Birth imagery. Don't mistake the delivering being done here.]
Isa 48:17 Your LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel declares: "I am the LORD your God, I teach you to profit. I lead you in the way you should go."
Isa 48:21 They didn't know thirst when He led them in the desert, for He made water flow from rock for them. He split the rock, and water poured out in abundance.
Isa 51:2 Consider Abraham and Sarah, who bore you in pain. When he was but one man I called him, then I blessed him and multiplied him.
Ac 7:34-36 "I have seen My people oppressed in Egypt. I have heard their groans and come down to deliver them. Come, I will send you to Egypt." Thus God sent that same Moses that they had disowned, complaining that nobody had made him their ruler or judge. He sent that same Moses to deliver them with the help of the angel that appeared in the bush. He led them out, doing signs and wonders in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and throughout their forty years in the wilderness.
Isa 55:10-11 Just as and snow, when they come down from heaven, do not fail to water the earth and make it fruitful, giving seed and bread to man; Just so, My own word is when it goes from My mouth. It does not return to Me without accomplishing My desire, without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.
Isa 61:9 Their descendants will be known among nations. All who see them will recognize them because they are the children the LORD has blessed.
Isa 62:9 Those who gather will eat and praise the LORD. Those who gather will drink in the courts of My sanctuary.
Isa 65:13 The LORD says, "Behold, My servants eat, but you shall go hungry. My servants drink, by you shall go thirsty. My servants rejoice, but you shall be put to shame."
Isa 65:23 They shall not labor in vain, nor will they bear children only to know calamity. For they are the children of those blessed by the LORD, and that blessing is upon their descendants as well.

 

New Thoughts

It's somewhat interesting that all these selections from Proverbs seem to focus on the comparison of the righteous with the wicked. Why is that? I think it's probably because in that contrast we can see the hand of God moving in His provision for each. The starkest of these comparisons is in Proverbs 15:6, where we see the righteous blessed with wealth, but the wicked given only abundant troubles. Over and over again through these verses we see similar ways in which the righteous and the wicked differ in the treatment they get from God.

Certainly, there's plenty that He does for both equally. He causes the rain to fall on good and bad alike. The sun does not shine selectively, only on those who are upright before Him. And, as we know the trend-line of God's treatment is not necessarily an accurate measure of righteousness. The whole line of the story of Job makes this abundantly clear. We know from that lesson that the removal of His apparent blessings does not necessarily indicate a removal of His approval. From the Psalms, we see many occurrences of the opposite issue; cases where the complaint is of wicked men prospering, seemingly untouched by justice. Yet, even there, we always see the assurance following, that their wickedness will eventually reap its just reward.

Note, now, how powerful is the righteous man. When he does well, the whole city rejoices, because the whole city is exalted by his blessing (Proverbs 11:10-11). Indeed, it is the presence of a righteous people that makes a nation great (Proverbs 14:34). How important this is to our nation today, how critical to understand! We are pursuing a course of action as the President and his advisors determine. They have laid the plans, but they must realize that the Lord will direct the actual event. This is the message of Proverbs 16:9, and it is a wise man, a wise nation, that recognizes the truth of it. Where we understand this, it only makes sense that we would prayerfully seek out His will in our planning, so that we may be found working with Him, and not against Him.

Don't forget these lesson. Keep God's Law, for in doing so, you will lengthen your life in peaceful days. Don't forget that it is His will that determines the outcome. Don't forget that He blesses the righteous, those whose hearts are determined to follow His ways as best they can. Don't forget that when we please Him, He makes peace between our enemies and ourselves, that we may live long in peaceful lands. Don't forget that evil acts will draw evil pay. The wages of sin, we know, is death. There can be no other pay expected, if we are not walking in His law, in His righteousness. Plan your way. By all means plan your way. But don't forget these lessons; the LORD directs.

The LORD's word will not return to Him without accomplishing His purpose (Isaiah 55:11). And what has His word been? "I will teach you. I will lead you in the proper way" (Isaiah 48:17). "You, the remnant, are born by Me at birth, and have been carried in My womb all your days. To the fullness of your years, when your hair is gray, I will continue to bear you, and I shall deliver you" (Isaiah 46:3-4). "Wild animals will praise Me, because I watered the desert just so My people could drink" (Isaiah 43:20).

How marvelous is Your care for us, oh Lord! What detail of my life is there that You have not seen to? Indeed, I have been reviewing my notes on Romans of late, and am reminded once more of how You have stood guard over me to keep me from my own foolishness. I need not look very far to see that it is You who have trained me for the work I do, for the worship I play. You have blessed me most wonderfully with talents by which to serve. You have indeed carried me all these years, and what assurance to know that You will deliver me. You will bring me to birth into the new and eternal life of Your kingdom. I will be Your child, and You will be my Father. How awesome is Your name! How awesome is Your power! How awesome is Your love for me, my God!

Yet, it is humbling to consider myself as not even yet delivered from the womb. I know I am a child in God's eyes, but here, He declares that He doesn't even consider us as having been born yet! The time is not yet come for us. Now, this could be seen as something applying only to Israel, declared in a time before Christ had come. That would seem to be legitimate. But I think we miss something if we don't feel the power of those words in our own present time. We, too, are a remnant, the church within the church. We, too, see all too many in the churches of the world who find in it no more than a social club, who come but don't commit.

I do believe that the word is for us. It is God's assurance for us. He has carried us since we were born. He will carry us to the day of our death. And, He will deliver us! That is assurance. God's word does not fail of its purpose. He has said He will. He will. He has said it. It will come to pass. No question need linger in our minds. No doubt that the devil may whisper in our ears need be accepted. God's truth is the truth, and He has said He will deliver. We will be born into His kingdom. All the powers of hell can not possibly stop His purpose from being accomplished in us. He is our Redeemer. He has taught us the ways that are profitable, led us on the paths of righteousness. We may indeed be poor in earthly goods, yet we have a greater profit, for our treasures are stored in heaven. We may be blessed in this life as well, yet still, our true profit lies in the treasures we have stored in heaven. What we have now, we have by His hand. What we have now is at His disposal.

Lord, I have known times of plenty in these last few years, and I have, I think, been faithful to keep my eyes off of that plenty and on Your kingdom. I know, at present, a time not of lack, but of seeming insecurity. Yet, I know You will continue to be the God You have always been. You will continue to lead me in the ways You desire me to go. You will continue to provide for this family You have placed me in. You will continue to hold us faithful to You, knowing that You are faithful to me. What blessed assurance, knowing that not only this life, but eternity, is in Your hands, knowing that though I must labor, the results are certain, for You have arranged the work I do.

At this moment, my God, I see a few possibilities ahead that seem to show the sign of Your handiwork. Or, is it just me trying to get my hopes up? Perhaps You have something completely other in mind. God, I pray that You keep me open to Your leading, sensitive to Your voice. I know that at the end of this time of trial, I will find You waiting for me, I will find You have been carrying me all along, even as I have read here today. Yet I would as for more. I would ask for clear direction at the forefront of the testing, that I may see the pathway through and follow it diligently, that I may refrain from pursuing any course except the one You have laid for me, that I might be faithful to You in the challenge of this time.