Embracing God's Providence: Finding Patience in Trials

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Believing the providence of God, embracing the providence of God, enables us to be patient and faithful in the long dragged out, often unexpected trials of life amidst the most inexplicable circumstances, detours, delays that from our limited viewpoint make no sense. Believing the providence of God transforms that experience. [00:02:01]

James, in his book in the New Testament, points us to the connection between God's providence and our patience. James 5:7: Be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until he gets the early and late rains. You too be patient. [00:02:36]

As an example, brothers, of suffering and patience, you have heard of Job and the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. So James says that our patience in life, as we like a farmer sow our seed faithfully in the spring and then wait and wait. [00:03:08]

Saturate your mind with such scriptures. Day after day, be exposed to God's utterly unexpected ways in the Bible until you become accustomed to trust Him in the dark because of what He's shown you in the light, especially the light of His word. Isaiah 55:8 says, My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. [00:05:54]

By immersing ourselves in the biblical portrayals of His providence, if we do that, we become less vulnerable to panic, less vulnerable to perplexity and dread because God has shown us again and again and again that things are not what they seem and that He is always weaving something wise out of the painful perplexing threads. [00:06:28]

Think what practical effect it would have on our lives for wonderful counter-intuitive patience if we believed that our frustrating delay at the red traffic light was God's keeping us back from an accident about to happen, or if we believed that getting our leg broken in the accident was God's way of revealing an early cancer in our leg. [00:07:00]

The key to patience is faith in the all-embracing, all-guiding, all-wise, all-gracious providence of God to transform all the interruptions of His children into rewards. Can we not then write in big letters as a heading over our lives and over every frustration: Satan, you meant that for evil, God meant it for good. [00:08:08]

Benjamin Warfield was a world-renowned theologian who taught at Princeton Seminary for almost 34 years until his death in 1921. Many people are aware of his famous book, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, but what most people don't know is that in 1876, at the age of 25, he married Annie Pierce Kincaid. [00:09:00]

Annie was struck by lightning and permanently paralyzed on their honeymoon. After caring for her patiently for 39 years, Warfield laid her to rest in 1915, and there was no Job-like restoration at the end of that story, only death into the arms of Jesus and someday a new body. Because of Annie's extraordinary needs, Warfield almost never left his home. [00:09:27]

When Warfield came to write his thoughts on Romans 8:28, this is what he wrote: The fundamental thought is the universal government of God, providence. All that comes to you is under His controlling hand. The secondary thought is the favor of God to those that love Him. If He governs all, then nothing but good can befall those to whom He would do good. [00:10:12]

He will so govern all things that we shall reap only good from all that befalls us. That is the root and power of beautiful patience and steadfastness in Job, in Warfield, and in you. So the fifth real-life effect of seeing and savoring the providence of God is the amazing power to be patient and faithful through the most inexplicable circumstances. [00:10:47]

Let's sing with William Cooper: Judge not the Lord by feeble sense but trust Him for His grace. Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face. Beautiful patience, that's how we get it, through seeing and savoring the providence of God. [00:11:30]

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