The Providence Of God
In this post I would like to look at the subject of God’s Providence. The works of God’s providence is that as creator he powerfully preserving and governing all his creatures and all other events. The scriptures very clearly teach that all things outside of God owe not merely their original creation, but their continued existence, with all their properties and powers to the will of God.
In this post I will only be looking at God’s providence over nature, and not on human freedom. The subject of human freedom and God’s providence I will look at in the next post, as this needs to be looked at with great detail.
Here are some scriptures, which show that God is preserving and governing all his creation.
"He upholds all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1;3)
"He is before all things, and in him all things consist" (Col. 1;17)
"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts. 17;28)
"He is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4;6)
These verses when taken together demonstrates to us that God is before all things, and that what ever he has created, comes from him, and is sustained and preserved by the word of his power. God’s creating power is over all things and through all things and in all things. These verses tell us that God is the active power and source of all things.
The created universe moves according to God ‘s rational plan and purposes.
God is no spectator of the universe he has made, but is everywhere present and active.
Loraine Boettner says in his book "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination"
"Although the price of the sparrow is small, and its flight seems giddy and at random, yet it does not fall to the ground nor alight anywhere without your Father. His all-wise providence has before appointed what bough it shall perch upon; what grains it shall pick up; where it shall lodge and where it shall build; on what it shall live and where it shall die. Every raindrop and every snowflake which falls from the cloud, every insect which moves, every plant which grows, every grain of dust which floats in the air has had a certain definite causes and will have certain definite effects. Each is a link in the chain of events and many of the great events of history have turned on these apparently insignificant things. Throughout the whole course of events there is progress toward a predetermined end."
No finite thing has any meaning apart from its place in God’s plan. This holds true for atoms, flowers, pencils or the history of Romania. The meaning of everything is logically identical to God’s intention for it. Every fact and thing and relation and event in the creation has a place in God’s eternal plan. For those who reject this claim, they must then believe that meaningful things are created out of nothing independent of God, which is irrational.
Here are a few more verses, which demonstrate God’s providence,
"You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges, you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your casts overflow with abundance." (Ps. 65;9-11)
‘The Lord does what ever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the sea’s and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he send lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses."( Ps.147;15-18)
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Fathers will, But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matt 10;29-30)
"Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them." (Matt 6)
"From one man, God made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live" (Acts. 17;26)
"This is the plan determined for the whole world, this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?, his hand is stretched out and who can turn it back.’ (Isa 14;26-17).
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (pro 16;9)
In this post I will only be looking at God’s providence over nature, and not on human freedom. The subject of human freedom and God’s providence I will look at in the next post, as this needs to be looked at with great detail.
Here are some scriptures, which show that God is preserving and governing all his creation.
"He upholds all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1;3)
"He is before all things, and in him all things consist" (Col. 1;17)
"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts. 17;28)
"He is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4;6)
These verses when taken together demonstrates to us that God is before all things, and that what ever he has created, comes from him, and is sustained and preserved by the word of his power. God’s creating power is over all things and through all things and in all things. These verses tell us that God is the active power and source of all things.
The created universe moves according to God ‘s rational plan and purposes.
God is no spectator of the universe he has made, but is everywhere present and active.
Loraine Boettner says in his book "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination"
"Although the price of the sparrow is small, and its flight seems giddy and at random, yet it does not fall to the ground nor alight anywhere without your Father. His all-wise providence has before appointed what bough it shall perch upon; what grains it shall pick up; where it shall lodge and where it shall build; on what it shall live and where it shall die. Every raindrop and every snowflake which falls from the cloud, every insect which moves, every plant which grows, every grain of dust which floats in the air has had a certain definite causes and will have certain definite effects. Each is a link in the chain of events and many of the great events of history have turned on these apparently insignificant things. Throughout the whole course of events there is progress toward a predetermined end."
No finite thing has any meaning apart from its place in God’s plan. This holds true for atoms, flowers, pencils or the history of Romania. The meaning of everything is logically identical to God’s intention for it. Every fact and thing and relation and event in the creation has a place in God’s eternal plan. For those who reject this claim, they must then believe that meaningful things are created out of nothing independent of God, which is irrational.
Here are a few more verses, which demonstrate God’s providence,
"You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges, you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your casts overflow with abundance." (Ps. 65;9-11)
‘The Lord does what ever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the sea’s and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he send lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses."( Ps.147;15-18)
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Fathers will, But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matt 10;29-30)
"Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them." (Matt 6)
"From one man, God made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live" (Acts. 17;26)
"This is the plan determined for the whole world, this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?, his hand is stretched out and who can turn it back.’ (Isa 14;26-17).
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (pro 16;9)
posted by Rich7 at 11:51 PM
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