God's Providence

Preservation

God is distinct from His creation yet intricately involved in His Creation. One way He is actively involved is in the preservation of His creation. Hebrews 1:3

Hebrews 1:3 NASB95

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

God upholds all things by the power of His word. Just by speaking God maintains creation.

Colossians 1:17 NASB95

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

If God chose to remove His preservation we would all cease to exist. It is God that gives us our next breath, heartbeat, and step. Acts 17:28

Acts 17:28 NASB95

for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

God maintains all things by giving them the properties to do so. For example, he gives grass the properties to grow and to have all the properties necessary to be grass.

God has made things to last as they are and fulfill what they were intended to fulfill. Which brings up the next aspect of God’s Providence

Concurrence

God creates thing and people to fulfill His will. Eph. 1:11

Ephesians 1:11 NASB95

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

There are 4 area’s of God’s Concurrence.

Inanimate Creation.

These are things like nature. Psalms 148:8

Psalm 148:8 (NASB95)

Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

Psalm 135:7 (NASB95)

He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

God uses weather to fulfill His purpose. He causes the rain to water the plants and the grass.

God uses the sun to provide light and warmth to the earth. He controls all the stars. Imagine if the Lord caused the sun to stop casting light . He controls all things.

Animals

God creates Animals for His purposes.

Psalm 104:27–29 (NASB95)

They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust.

God provides for the animals and appoints them the days they are to live.

Circumstances

People will call this random or chance things that happen. For example, Proverbs 16:33

Proverbs 16:33 (NASB95)

The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

The Lord uses what we consider as random things for his purposes. Things like flipping a coin

Affairs of Nations

Job 12:23 (NASB95)

“He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

Psalm 22:28 (NASB95)

For the kingdom is the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.

God creates nations to fulfill His purposes. There are righteous nations and there are wicked nations. God uses both to fulfill His purposes.

Our lives

Psalm 139:16 (NASB95)

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

God knows every one of the days we are suppose to live. We will not one live day longer or leave one day earlier.

Psalm 75:6–7 (NASB95)

For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert comes exaltation; But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.

God determines our successes and our failures.

Psalm 127:3 (NASB95)

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

The Lord determines how many Children and grandchildren we have

1 Corinthians 4:7 NASB95

For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

God gives us our skills, abilities and talents.

Proverbs 20:24 (NASB95)

Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way?

God determines our daily activities

God uses Evil

God does not do evil but he uses evil to accomplish his purposes. He hardens the hearts of kings so that He receives glory. (Moses Example)

He used Pilot to provide for the crucifixion of Christ.

Why would God use evil for His purpose? Exodus 9:16

Exodus 9:16 NASB95

“But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.

God uses evil to exact punishment. 2 Samuel 12:11-12

2 Samuel 12:11–12 NASB95

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’ ”