Nelson on Providence (10/2/02)
Providence is God's continuous action in governing and preserving creation. To accept providence is to accept God as absolute Lord, and to recognize that all creation is dependant on Him for continuance. It is to deny the idea that chance or fate rules life. God is in control. His governance works to direct everything according to His own plan. In His actions, He is governed only by the laws and principles He Himself put in place. What we consider the laws of nature are in reality no more than a description of what we can perceive of His working in the world. They are not binding on Him, nor are they capable of accomplishing anything in their own right, as they have no power in themselves. Man is not free to function independently from God's will, but makes his choices in accordance with God's plans. In all this, God does not violate the reality of human choice, nor does He abrogate man's responsibility for his choices. God does not cause sin, but permits sinful acts to occur. But, He often overrules evil acts for good.
Ps 103:19 The LORD's throne is established in the heavens, and He rules over all.
Mt 5:45b He brings the sun out for both evil and good men, and his rains fall on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
Ps 66:7 By His might, He rules forever. He watches over the nations, so those who rebel should not boast.
Gal 1:15 He had separated me out even from my mother's womb, calling me through His grace.
Lk 1:52 He has knocked rulers from their thrones, and raised up the humble.
Ps 4:8 I will rest peacefully, for You alone cause me to live in safety.
1Sa 2:9 He guards the ways of the godly but the wicked are silenced in darkness, for men do not succeed by their own might.
Ac 17:28 In Him we live, move, and exist; for we are His offspring, as your own poets declare.
Ge 28:15 Not one hair of your head will perish.
1Co 10:13 You are not tempted any farther than others have been, and He is faithful. He will not let your temptations exceed your ability, but will always provide the way of escape so that you can endure.
1Pe 3:12 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and He hears their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against the evildoer.
Mt 28:18-20 All authority has been given to Me, both in heaven and on earth. So I tell you to go make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey all I command. And, know that I am forever with you, even to the end.
Ac 2:36 Let Israel know without any doubt that God made this Jesus you crucified both Lord and Christ.
Eph 1:20-23 He raised Christ from the dead and placed Him at His own right hand in heaven, higher than any ruler, authority, power, or dominion; higher than any other name in this age or in the coming age. All things have been put in subjection under His feet. He has been given as the head over all things in His body, the church. The church is the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.
Mt 10:29-31 Two sparrows can be had for a penny, yet not one of them will perish apart from the Father's plan. The very hairs of your head are numbered, so don't worry; you are much more valuable than sparrows.
Pr 16:33 The lot is cast, but its decision is from the LORD.
Php 2:13 It is God who works in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure.
Ac 14:16 In the past, He allowed the nations to do as they wished.
Ge 45:5 Don't be upset or mad at yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.
Dt 8:18 Remember the LORD your God, for He gives you the ability to make wealth in order to confirm His covenant with your fathers.
Pr 21:1 The king's heart is like a channel of water in God's hands. The LORD turns it wherever He wishes.
Ro 9:22 What if God patiently put up with vessels He prepared for destruction, even though He is willing to demonstrate His wrath to make His power evident.
Ge 50:20 You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Thus, He has arranged for this present situation, and many people are being kept alive.
Ac 3:13 The God of our fathers has glorified His servant Jesus, the very one you delivered up and disowned in front of Pilate, though he had decided to release Him.
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New Thoughts (10/3/02)
It is truly stunning, when considering the works of God's providence, to realize just how personal they are, just how personal He is. Certainly, there are those aspects of His working that are purely administrative in nature. He does innumerable things in the course of keeping creation going, and as Scripture itself points out, many of His blessings are given to all alike. Sun and rain do not come only to the good, they come to all. But, then there is the personal care and attention He has given to each one of us.
God has not simply stamped us out of some mold, nor has He patiently waited to see what would evolve out of some slime. He has formed each one of us in the womb, making us to His own design, a design unique to ourselves. Nor does His personal attention to us end in that initial creation. He continues to work upon us throughout our lives; guiding, preparing, cleansing, and renewing us until we attain to His image!
Consider these two statements of Paul's. In Galatians 1:15, he declares that God had separated him out for specific purposes even from the womb! In God's grace, He called Paul to a life of definite purpose. There He is at the very start of life, putting in place the personal touches on His unique design, preparing a vessel for His purpose, handcrafted by the Master! Then, notice Paul's statement in Philippians 2:13. It is God who works within each one of us, because if He wasn't working, we could never be willing. So, He works upon us, empowering us to willfully submit to His will. And then, He continues to work within us such that we are able to do His will, impossible though it often seems.
What Paul is declaring here is not something that God only did for Paul, or only for the Apostles, or only for the early church. It is the way God deals with each one of us. Each one of us was created by Him for a specific purpose. Again, there can be no question but that we were created for such a time as this. God is not a chance creator, but a creator with purpose. You and I were separated out for a specific work of His grace from the womb, just as Paul was. He has been working within each one of us to prepare us for that purpose ever since, and He will continue working with us until He brings us home.
This is the proof and confidence we have in salvation. The very fact that we desire to live in submission to His will is evidence of His working within us. The very fact that we know concern and even agony over our failures is further evidence of His working. He has indeed begun that good work in me, and He is faithful to complete it! He does not play games with His creatures, He doesn't leave things to that nonexistent 'power' of chance. He is purposeful, and He was purposeful in creating me, in creating you. He has called me, He has worked upon me, enabling me to will myself in accord with His good pleasure, and He is working within me to empower me to actually accomplish that good pleasure.
How wonderful it is to know that life, as chaotic as it can seem, has purpose and direction! How wonderful to know we are not accidents, chance occurrences in a universe that neither knows nor cares whether we exist or not. In spare moments, I've been reading a bit of Francis Schaeffer. He writes at length about the line of despair below which our culture has been sinking under the influence of 'rational' thinkers. This understanding of God's providential, personal, purposeful working upon our creation is the antidote. We have a purpose, each one of us! There are those very specific needs and circumstances that we alone were designed to meet. Certainly, if we will refuse to do the things we were designed for, He can and will design another to get the job done, but the simple fact remains: we have a reason for being, and we can know that reason!
God, You are so amazing! That You, who created everything that is, and continually work to keep that creation alive and in order, took such great and personal care over my design! That with all You do in each moment, You were yet willing to reach down to me, to stoop to my level so that I could comprehend at least enough of You to trust You! That with such great patience, You have worked in me and with me, carefully adjusting the pieces to bring me into greater alignment with Your design! How can I thank You enough? How could I ever hope to repay Your great kindness towards me, except it be by doing my utmost to please You? How is it that I allow myself to fail so often, my God?
Come, Lord, continue that work You have begun in me. Bring today a fresh renewing within me, that I may know You better, that I may serve You better, that I may look like my Daddy. Oh, that the family resemblance would be more noticeable! Even so, Lord, come.
