Practical Applications of God's Providence
I. What benefit does it yield in our lives to believe that God, in His
providence, controls all things?
1. It gives us deep gratitude to God for all good things--including
our
love for Him and faith in Him--because all good things are from God (see
Romans 11:36 and James 1:18).
2. It keeps us from despair and instead gives us patience and
comfort,
strength and hope through suffering and adversity. In all bad
things that happen to
us, we can have the confidence of Joseph: "God meant it for good"
(Genesis 50:20, NASB) and the worship of Job: "...and he fell to the ground
and worshiped. And he said, `...The Lord gave and the Lord has taken
away. Blessed be the name of the Lord'" (Job 1:20-21).
3. It causes us to marvel at God's great wisdom because He works all
things together for His glory and His people's good (Romans 8:28)--not
just in spite of the opposition but by means of the opposition. He makes
evil backfire and makes satan continually shoot himself in the foot
because when satan intends something for the harm of God's saints, God's
intention is to ultimately benefit them. This is amazing wisdom to
praise God for!
4. It gives us joyful trust in God for the future.
5. It frees us to obey with confidence and security--even when
obedience
appears risky or "foolish" by the world's standards. Thus, God's
providence encourages us into risk-taking obedience for God's great
glory.
6. It gives us deeper trust in God because He will accomplish all of
His purposes. None can fail (see Job 42:2 and Isaiah 46:10).
7. It gives us great encouragement to and confidence in
prayer. For God can do what we ask.
8. We need never feel overwhelmed, because God is in control.
9. It gives us great courage and boldness through all
things.
10. It shatters bitterness and complaining and shows us to be
satisfied.
11. It makes us strong people.
12. It glorifies God.
13. A denial of this truth involves a reduction of the supremacy of God
in our hearts.
Go back to Contend for the Faith.
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