The Importance of Providence
The Importance of Providence
Theology is important because it is the foundation of worship,
obedience, and joy. If we try to be practical without a true and solid
doctrinal foundation, we will fall flat. The Providence of God is one
very significant Biblical and theological truth. There are many
practical applications of believing that God, in His Providence, controls
all things. It is often asked, "Is it important to understand and
believe the Providence of God?" I offer the following applications as an
answer. I think that they speak for themselves.
Understanding Providence 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). It should
also create a godly fear and reverence of God in our hearts--for He is in
control and we are not. He is on the throne before which we must bow.
Not only that, it also brings great joy to know that God is so concerned
with his creation and that in his wisdom he is ruling all things for His
greatest glory and His people's greatest good.
Knowledge of Providence can keep us from despair and instead give
us patience and comfort, strength and hope through suffering and
adversity because we know that all pain has a purpose. God only allows
bad things to occur to his children for the purpose of bringing about a
greater good to them. Thus, God's control over the evil events in our
lives is very loving, not vindictive. Because nothing can occur to us
without passing through God's loving hands, in all bad things that happen
to us we can have the confidence of Joseph: "God meant it for good"
(Genesis 50:20) 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). This should shatter all
complaining and bitterness and instead give us great hope and rejoicing.
Margaret Clarkson has said, "The sovereignty of God is the one
impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The
circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident; they may be the work
of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the might hand of our
sovereign God....All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His
children unless He permits it."[1]
We are never at the mercy of circumstances or people. If people
threaten to hurt us or those in authority over us act unjustly, we can
take joy in the fact that ultimately, God is working to bring about a
greater good. Further, we can have a great incentive to act in order to
improve our circumstances, for we know that God can move people to do His
will.
As the world seems to go haywire around us, we can have peace and
a deep trust in God because we know that He will accomplish all of
His purposes. None can fail (see Job 42:2 and Isaiah 46:10) because
everything is under His control and proceeding according to plan
(Ephesians 1:11). This should also give us a great encouragement to and
confidence in prayer. For God can do what we ask. No matter how
stressful, confusing, or difficult things seem to be, we need never feel
overwhelmed, because God is in control.
If we believe in Providence we can 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!
Therefore we can have a joyful trust in God for the future. Far
from Providence being a discouraging doctrine, it frees us to obey with
confidence and security--even when obedience appears risky or "foolish"
by the world's standards. Knowing that God is in control encourages us
into risk-taking obedience for God's great glory. In all things, we can
have great courage and boldness.
Understanding Providence is also very important for humility.
Daniel 4:35 is a key verse on God's control over all things: "All the
inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according
to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and
no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, `What have You done?'". This
verse is especially significant in light of the context of the whole
chapter. God had revealed to Nebuchadnezzar, through a dream, that His
kingdom was going to be taken away from him. Why was God going to do
this? Because Nebuchadnezzar was prideful. Why did God think that
Nebudchanezzar was prideful? Because he did not acknowledge that "the
most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever
He wishes" (v. 25). Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom would not be restored until
he realized "that it is heaven that rules" (v. 26). Thus, it seems that
knowledge of God's absolute Providence is important for humility.
After Nebuchadnezzar was humbled, he realized that God was in
control and made the statement recorded in verse 35 above.
Nebuchadnezzar's attitude towards God in His sovereign majesty should be
shared by us: "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt, and honor the King of
heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to
humble those who walk in pride" (v. 37).
Because of all these things, a heart-felt beliefs in the
Providence of God will make us strong people. Perhaps most importantly,
the truth of Providence greatly glorifies God and exalts His supremacy.
A denial of this truth involves a reduction of the supremacy of God in
our hearts because we will not see God as authoritative over all things
and with the wisdom to keep His creation under control. Acceptance of
this truth, on the other hand, provides powerful fuel for worship. John
Piper gives the illustration of the human soul being the furnace of
worship, the Holy Spirit bringing the fire of worship, and a proper
vision of God being the fuel of worship. The resulting heat of our
affections, expressed in praise to God, is worship. If we have a poor
vision of God, our worship will be poor because the fuel is low. But if
we have an exalted view of God, our worship will become white hot. J.B.
Moody has said, "True worship is based upon recognized greatness, and
greatness is superlatively seen in sovereignty, and at no other footstool
will men really worship."
Notes
1. Margaret Clarkson, quoted in "Does Divine Sovereignty Make a
Difference in Everyday Life?" by Jerry Bridges in The Grace of God,
The Bondage of the Will, Thomas Schreiner and Bruce Ware, ed., (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995), vol. I, p. 209.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, by the Lockman Foundation.
MP
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