Monday, April 6, 2009
Providence
One of the best known and quoted verses in the Word of God is …
Romans 8:28 … "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
The first thing that we should take notice of is the conviction that Paul shows when he writes these words … "we know" … not we hope they do or would like it to be, or even that we believe these things, but rather he wrote … we know.
Today, the strength of Paul's conviction is very much absent from our churches.
The belief and trust in God's Divine Providence has all but disappeared from our culture today. The view today is that God is now just an uncaring onlooker and has stepped back from the affairs of man and no longer has or wants control over this world. Most of us just "hope" He will answer our cries for help.
Notice that Paul is speaking to those he says are … "the called." He goes on and says … "for whom he did foreknow" … as in foreknowledge; we'll speak to this a little later. "He also did predestinate … and He also called."
"What shall we then say to these things?" To me Paul is saying …
1.) What more can be added to tell of the love of God to save us.
2.) And then looking ahead he speaks of these things … "shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword; neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God."
What should our response be to … all the things … that come against us?
The world's response to the pain and suffering and whatever else that comes their way is … "I don't like these things; don't tell me that God is working out His plan. How can a good God allow these things?"
Paul answers his own question with … "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
One of the phrases used in the early church was … "Deus pro nobis" … which means in English … "God for us." This is what the Doctrine of Providence is all about … "God being for His people."
Look at the word … Providence.
It's made up of a prefix and a root word; the Latin root is "videre" … to see … or if translated into English it would be … video.
The prefix … "Pro" … means "Before," so providence means "to see before, or having foresight." It's called God's foreknowledge; to see before it happens.
The closest word in English might be … "provision" … which is what God provides us with through His Providence; He sees the need beforehand.
The first time God's Providence is seen in the Bible is in Genesis 22:7 when Abraham answers Isaac's question … "I see the wood but where is the lamb?" Abraham answers his son with a very simple … "God will provide."
God's Providence covers several areas; one is … sustenance. After creation was finished, God didn't just step back and leave us on our own but rather God sustains and preserves us both physically and spiritually. Not only are our lives dependent on God for being here in that He is our creator; but we are also totally dependent on Him for our daily existence.
God alone is self existent; we are not. We depend upon His Providence, even for every heartbeat and breath we take.
Another area of Providence is called … the laws of nature … and is just one of the ways God has chosen to operate and deliver His care over all His creation. This means there is nothing in this natural world that operates by chance.
Chance has no power of its own. It's a risk; it may or may not happen. Chance is an unknown, unpredictable possibility. Man has used this term "chance" as a replacement for the concept of God.
Nothing happens on its own; all things come under the Sovereignty of God and His Providence … which should bring comfort and peace to the believer. There is nothing in the universe that is not under the control of God. Nothing.
There is something else in Providence called … the Doctrine of Concurrence. One example of this would be when Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Two things were happening at the same time; the action taken by his brothers was intended as evil, which in turn set up God's action for good. Remember what Joseph later told his brothers when they came down to Egypt to buy grain during the famine … "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good."
Concurrence … is like two rivers coming together and flowing into one … they flow together to accomplish a larger or greater objective. Evil and good must sometimes "work together" to accomplish God's will and purpose in our lives.
Why did the Apostle Paul say … "we know" … that all things work together for good? Because God is Sovereign and He is in control of all things.
So, if Providence could speak it would also say … no matter what comes our way, God is working all things for our good.
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6 comments:
Thank you dad for this. It helps me to hold on, and to wait for an answer for the issues that are surrounding Caleb's life. It is hard for me to pray with faith, knowing that Caleb's will is also involved. That the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not force Himself on Caleb. But I do know that God is working all things for His Good. I am holding on also to a verse I found and I am believing God to turn this all around for His Glory!!
Father God, cause Caleb to call on You in distress; then You, the Lord will answer him and set him in a broad place. (Psalms 118:5)
Teresa,
I followed God for the first 13 to 14 years of my life --- not only because I was told to. I had a true connection and love for the Father. I just didn't have all the right information on who He was in my life, or who He was in general.
At that time, I said to hell with this. Sorry about the wording but that is where my heart was. I then lived a double life until I was in my mid-thirties. My life had become so disgusting --- you know full well what I am talking about. I just couldn't handle the degradation that had occurred and how disgusting I had become.
But, I cried out to my Father and He healed me of all the things that I had done and RESTORED and is RESTORING everything that I and the enemy had destroyed.
Joey is 15 and living his life for God. I don't deserve that Teresa but that's God, He gives because of all the grace and mercy that just oozes from His being. It is who He is and will always be.
I don't know if what I wrote will give you hope but I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT IT DOES. Don't give up Teresa. Keep praying. Keep fasting. Keep hoping. Keep believing. Stand on the promises of God. The journey WILL NOT be without bumps and obstacles and downright trauma. BUT, the end of the race will be victory.
I love you very much and have a special place in my heart for Caleb.
Teresa, may I add …
Last Sunday during Worship, the Worship Team kept singing over and over … "We shall overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony." God got my attention so strongly with one of those … "You know that you know that you know" moments and convinced me that Caleb "WILL" overcome. How and by what means?
By the Blood of the Lamb and "THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY."
By the word "our" I mean mine, your mother's, yours and sisters in the Lord like Debbie. Your mother and I are speaking this verse often through the day every day.
Caleb "WILL" overcome … in God's time.
Dear, Teresa I will also pray that the Lord will work in Caleb's life.
I pray Lord that You would open Caleb's eyes and that you will work in his a heart. I ask Lord that You would give him the gift of faith and that You would regenerate his fallen will Lord. For with out Your work of grace Caleb's will is totally unable to respond to the Spirit's calling. Please raise him from spiritual death to life in Your Son. Please Lord, bless Teresa's faith and call this one to Yourself. Oh, Lord, God of heaven and earth. Your arm is not so short that You cannot save to the utter most. All things are possible with you Father. Lord we leave this in Your hands for there is no one else to whom we can look. It is You that hold the words to life. I pray that you will give Teresa peace in her heart and that she will rest in You and I ask this in the name of Your most Holy Son and for His Glory. Amen.
You see Teresa, in your letter to your dad you say that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and that He will not force Himself upon Caleb's will. Indeed He is most gracious to fallen humanity. However, it is in His graciousness that He draws us to Himself. If he did not sovereignly intervene we would never come to Christ. (By the way, the word that Jesus uses in John 12:32 literally mean to drag. It is the same word used in Acts 14:19 and James 2:6 just to mention a few.)
I believe that in your heart you know that this is right, because in your prayer you asked God to cause Caleb to call on Him. If God where to cause it then it would be, by necessity, God forcing His will on Caleb's. When we are called by God He does not force us to come to Him kicking and screaming. He changes our will by regenerating our dead sinful hearts. One moment we are God haters the next we are God lovers. Just like the thief on the cross. Keep believing and keep praying as I am sure you do. God is not done yet with this world. I am glad that you are child of the King just like your dad and mom.
In Christ, a friend.
Knotso … a little background on Caleb. As a younger child Caleb accepted the Lord as his Savior but as most of us do when we become teenagers we are always trying to climb the fence and leave God's boundaries. Things in the world have a way of attracting young people.
Right now Caleb is like the prodigal son … not that he has left his faith … but things in the world, his immature fleshly nature, fun, etc. has caused him to try and run away from the leading of the Holy Spirit. But it won't work.
Caleb will be like the prodigal in Luke 15:17-18 … "And when he came to himself, he said … I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee …"
Caleb will, as I said before, come to himself in God's perfect timing. From my own personal experience I am thankful that we have a God who is so patient waiting on us to grow up; all the while watching and protecting us from the mistakes we make by our choices made in life.
Many are called but few are chosen. God has called Caleb along with the many; but God has also chosen him to be one of the few.
A little lamb can fall into a mud hole, but that doesn't make him a pig. He's just a dirty lamb; he can be washed off. He will overcome … by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
Like the prodigal's father was always looking knowing his son … would return … so God the Father is also watching the path back home … knowing … Caleb is coming.
Thank you for your heart felt prayer for my grandson. God uses prayer many times to fulfill His plans for us. And so we pray.
Blessings …
Amen, God is faith to Himself and does not forget His promises to us. Indeed nothing can separate us from the love of God. He works all things according to the consul of His will and that He works all things for the good, even our wanderings, to those who are called by Him and love Him.
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