Understanding God's Providence: Trust, Act, and Participate

Devotional

Day 1: God's Sustaining Presence

God's providence is a profound assurance that He is actively preserving creation. This means that every moment of existence is held together by His sustaining power. Without God's ongoing involvement, the universe would not continue to exist. This understanding calls us to trust in God's care and involvement in our lives, knowing that He is intimately aware of every detail. As we go about our daily lives, we can find comfort in the fact that we are not alone; God is with us, sustaining us through every challenge and triumph. [06:56]

Nehemiah 9:6 (ESV): "You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you."

Reflection: In what ways can you recognize God's sustaining presence in your life today, and how does this awareness change your perspective on daily challenges?

Day 2: Divine Collaboration

Concurrence is the aspect of providence where God collaborates with all created realities. This means that while individuals and natural forces act according to their own will, God is able to work through these actions to fulfill His purposes. The stories of Joseph and Job illustrate how God can use even adverse circumstances for good. This teaches us to trust in God's ability to work through all situations, knowing that nothing is beyond His control. As we navigate life's complexities, we can rest in the assurance that God is working all things together for His divine purposes. [14:03]

Genesis 50:20 (ESV): "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

Reflection: Think of a challenging situation you are currently facing. How might God be using this situation to fulfill His purposes in your life?

Day 3: The Unstoppable Will of God

Despite human actions and intentions, God's will is ultimately accomplished. The crucifixion of Jesus demonstrates how God's plan for salvation was fulfilled despite opposition. This encourages us to trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to bring about His purposes. No matter the obstacles or resistance we encounter, we can have confidence that God's will is irresistible and will ultimately prevail. This understanding invites us to align our lives with His will, trusting that His plans are for our good and His glory. [25:45]

Acts 2:23 (ESV): "This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you struggle to trust in God's will? How can you surrender these areas to Him today, believing in His ultimate plan?

Day 4: Trusting in Sovereignty

Understanding providence calls us to trust in God's sovereignty and to obey His will. Our lives are not subject to chance, but are under the care of a loving God who works all things for His glory and our good. This trust should lead us to make choices that align with God's purposes, knowing that He is guiding us every step of the way. As we grow in our faith, we are invited to deepen our trust in God's perfect plan, even when we cannot see the full picture. [31:22]

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Reflection: What is one decision you are facing where you need to trust in God's sovereignty? How can you seek His guidance and align your choice with His will?

Day 5: Courageous Participation

We are called to be active participants in God's plan, making choices that align with His will. Even our mistakes can be used by God for His greater purpose. This encourages us to be bold and courageous in our actions, trusting that God will work through them for His glory. As we step out in faith, we can be confident that God is with us, empowering us to fulfill His purposes. Our lives become a testament to His grace and power as we partner with Him in His divine plan. [36:16]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: What is one area where you feel called to step out in faith and participate in God's plan? How can you take a bold step today, trusting in His guidance and strength?

Sermon Summary

Providence is a profound concept that reveals God's ongoing involvement in His creation. It is not merely that God created the universe and then left it to run on its own. Instead, providence assures us that God is actively sustaining, collaborating with, and governing His creation towards its intended purpose. This understanding of providence is crucial for our faith and daily living.

Firstly, God's providence involves preservation. He maintains the existence and functioning of creation. Without His sustaining power, the universe would cease to exist. Scriptures like Nehemiah 9:6 and Colossians 1:17 affirm that God preserves all things, holding them together through His power.

Secondly, concurrence is the aspect of providence where God collaborates with all created realities. This means that while individuals and natural forces act according to their own will, God is able to work through these actions to fulfill His purposes. The story of Joseph in Genesis and the trials of Job illustrate how God can use even the intentions of others to bring about His divine plans.

Lastly, God's government is the aspect of providence where He directs creation towards its divinely purposed end. Despite human actions and intentions, God's will is ultimately irresistible. The crucifixion of Jesus is a prime example, where despite the actions of various individuals and powers, God's plan for salvation was accomplished.

Understanding providence calls us to trust in God's sovereignty. Our lives are not subject to chance or fate but are under the care of a loving God who works all things for His glory and our good. This trust should lead us to cooperate with God's will, making choices that align with His purposes. We are called to be active participants in God's plan, knowing that even our mistakes can be used by God for His greater purpose.

Key Takeaways

1. God's Sustaining Power: God's providence assures us that He is actively preserving creation. Without His sustaining power, the universe would not continue to exist. This understanding calls us to trust in God's ongoing care and involvement in our lives. [06:56]
2. Concurrence and Collaboration: God works through the actions and intentions of individuals and natural forces to fulfill His purposes. The stories of Joseph and Job illustrate how God can use even adverse circumstances for good. This teaches us to trust in God's ability to work through all situations. [14:03]
3. God's Irresistible Will: Despite human actions and intentions, God's will is ultimately accomplished. The crucifixion of Jesus demonstrates how God's plan for salvation was fulfilled despite opposition. This encourages us to trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to bring about His purposes. [25:45]
4. Trust and Obedience: Understanding providence calls us to trust in God's sovereignty and to obey His will. Our lives are not subject to chance, but are under the care of a loving God who works all things for His glory and our good. This trust should lead us to make choices that align with God's purposes. [31:22]
5. Active Participation: We are called to be active participants in God's plan, making choices that align with His will. Even our mistakes can be used by God for His greater purpose. This encourages us to be bold and courageous in our actions, trusting that God will work through them for His glory. [36:16]
** [36:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Introduction to Providence
[02:15] - God's Ongoing Involvement
[04:00] - Defining Providence
[05:30] - Preservation of Creation
[07:45] - Concurrence Explained
[10:00] - Joseph's Story of Providence
[12:30] - Job's Experience of Concurrence
[15:00] - God's Governing Power
[17:30] - The Crucifixion and Providence
[20:00] - Trusting in God's Sovereignty
[22:30] - Cooperating with God's Will
[25:00] - Active Participation in God's Plan
[28:00] - Conclusion and Encouragement

Sermon Clips

"The topic of the providence of God helps us to understand, and this is the Bible's teaching, that God not only created everything that is there, you and us, all of us, and everything in the universe, but he continues to be involved in the universe. He continues to be involved in our lives. And so one way of defining providence would be it is the continuing work. So he worked in creation, but he continues to work to sustain in existence the created universe and all it contains, directing it towards its divinely designed end." [00:00:53]

"First of all, God preserves creation. God preserves, he maintains creation and existence and functioning as he has designed it. God continues to sustain it. And as we look at it later, without the sustaining work of God, creation would not be able to continue. Then the other element is concurrence or working alongside or collaborating with the things that he has created. So all of creation runs with various kinds of activity, various kinds of laws that God has put into motion." [00:02:25]

"And then in Colossians 1, 17, we are told that he, that is Christ, is before all things, and in him all things hold together. So what is the Bible telling us here? And so, he is the one who sustains it. Think of it this way, that if God would not sustain his creation, his creation would cease to exist. So it is not that God created, and then creation has enough energy to continue to go on on its own." [00:04:24]

"Concurrence is God's work of collaborating with all created realities as they act and occur. So, if we look at Genesis chapter 45, verse 5 to 8, this is the account of the life of Joseph. As you know, Genesis, towards the end of it, has many, many chapters where we read about Joseph's life in quite a lot of detail. And so, when the brothers came and they were guilty before him, Joseph had this to say to them." [00:05:54]

"But God was able to take everything that was happening and work it together. So he worked through the works of other people and the intents of other people. That's what concurrence means. So God is not, we are, our experience of life is that if somebody else does something, we are sometimes able to counter it, sometimes we are not able to counter it. Or we may do something different or we may walk along with whatever the intent and the action of the other people is." [00:07:34]

"And so that is concurrence. So many things in your and my life, when they happen, there are many things that happen in our lives. There are some natural causes, because of other people, because of other people. There are some of our own things. But in all of these things, even though there are independent wills involved and actions involved, God works through them. He collaborates or He causes them to work together." [00:10:53]

"Then in the Genesis story of Joseph, here is Joseph's reading of everything that happened to him. Joseph na kya bola jab finally sara conclusion karna chaha ke uski zindagi me uske saath jo kuch bhi hua. What did he say? As for you, you meant it for evil against it, but God meant it for good. You see, God was working his good purposes out not only for Jews, Joseph personally, but for the entire nation of Israel." [00:12:26]

"Now, the next one is a little bit more difficult to understand, but I'm sure you will. Concurrence is God's work of collaborating with all created realities as they act and occur. So, if we look at Genesis chapter 45, verse 5 to 8, this is the account of the life of Joseph. As you know, Genesis, towards the end of it, has many, many chapters where we read about Joseph's life in quite a lot of detail." [00:05:54]

"Now let's look at a few verses just to get some more insight into the providence of God when we when we hear the account of the preaching of the crucifixion of Jesus in acts we have these two passages uh in acts chapter 2 verse 23 this is part of peter's sermon uh he says uh this jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and you you For knowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." [00:17:01]

"Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23 says, I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. It doesn't, we do, it does not mean that our free action or free will is negated. But what it means is, even if we do whatever we want to do, God's will and his purposes will be accomplished. His will, his purpose is irresistible." [00:20:48]

"together for his glory and the good of his people and so this is an invitation and many times this is where we find it difficult especially when things that are not good happen to us it becomes very hard and especially when we are praying and the answers to our prayer are not coming and they're not coming in the way that we've been expecting it becomes very difficult for us but God says to us and this is the teaching of the providence of God his sustaining power the fact that he preserves us the fact that he concurrently works through everything that is happening and he works everything together to the end of his to his purpose means that we can trust him that we can trust in God and we can trust in our lives that we feel like that everything is wrong and everything is broken and everything is broken and everything is broken and what direction should we not go there was no hope that there is no real future for us or for the people we need to remember that God will accomplish his purpose and so we need to call we need to remind ourselves that regardless of what is happening around us or in our lives we can continue to trust God you know when when it is dark we can continue to trust God and we must determine that we will continue to obey him and we must also rejoice in the midst of difficulty why do we rejoice because of the providence of God because we know he is in control of everything he is in control he is the sovereign God of everything so in our lives there is nothing like that so America I mean just go I mean just go I'm" [00:22:42]

"Because his providence is working everything. He preserves the world. He preserves his people. He works through everything. and he works his will out in terms of preservation, in terms of concurrence, in terms of his government. And so, we know that God's will and purpose will be accomplished. We know that the purpose of God will be accomplished. So, we should in our lives make it our goal to cooperate with the purpose and will of God." [00:27:44]

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