03.05.23 Evening - Baptist Catechism Q15
Notes
Transcript
Good evening.
•We are continuing our study of the Baptist Catechism.
•Tonight we are going to consider Question 15.
•And that question is “What are God’s works of
providence?”
Go back in time with me a few months in our study
of the Catechism:
•Question 11 told us that, from eternity, God has
decreed all things that come pass.
•Every single thing that happens, happens because
God ordained that it would happen in eternity past.
•Nothing is beyond God. Nothing happens apart from
His eternal decree. So then, LITERALLY EVERYTHING
has been foreordained by God.
Then in Question 12, the Catechism asked, How
does God execute His decrees?
•The Answer: God executes His decrees in the works
of creation and providence.
•So, God decreed all that comes to pass. And then He
executes, or BRINGS ABOUT, what He has decreed.
•The decree is an act in God, where He ordains all that
will happen. But the execution of His decree is God
ACTING in His infinite power and wisdom and holiness
to bring that decree to pass.
•Just think about it: In order to bring His decree to pass,
He must create, for there was nothing in existence apart
from Him when He decreed. But He decreed that the
world would exist. So He made it. He executed His
decree.
•So we then looked at Questions 13 and 14 that had to
do with God’s creation of the world and mankind in
particular.
And now we come to the second aspect of how
God executes His decrees: Providence.
•That’s what our question tonight has to do with: What
are God’s works of providence?
•Here is a summary answer in my own words: God’s
works of providence are God’s sovereign ruling over
literally everything in the universe.
•God’s providence is His working within His creation to
bring to pass all that He has decreed.
•And, since His decree is exhaustive and extends to
literally everything and all that comes to pass, God’s
providence then extends to literally every creature and
every action and every single thing in the world.
•God’s works of providence are, simply put, His control
and reign over all things in time and eternity to bring to
pass all His holy will for His creation.
•A simple phrase to remember: God governs all His
creatures and all their actions.
•That is divine providence. That is God’s work of
providence.
So then, tonight we will consider the fact that God
controls everything.
•Not only has God decreed all things that come to
pass, but He works in His world to bring it all to pass.
•AND HE REIGNS OVER ALL. He is King of all.
•God is not idle. He is constantly at work bringing to
pass His will for His world.
NOTE: I want to say something before we go any
further:
•This sermon will raise questions for some.
•If God is governing all things, that includes the actions
of all men and angels. And that includes even the sinful
actions of all men and angels.
•So some will ask, “How does that fit with man’s
responsibility for sin? And how does that fit with man’s
freely acting in history?”
•It is not within the scope of this sermon to answer such
questions this evening. Though, those are legitimate
questions to ask and I would love to talk with you if you
have them.
But for this evening, let it be enough to say this:
•God’s Word reveals, as we will see, that He governs
all things, even the sinful actions of men.
•AND YET, He also reveals that man acts freely in all
that he does. People really do what they really want to
do in their hearts.
•And God has also revealed that He holds man
responsible for all his sins and that God does not make
anyone sin.
Remember Acts 2:23 and 4:27-28. Those verses will
serve as an anchor for you, even if you can’t get to
the bottom of it all. (None of us can.)
•Peter says, “…this Jesus, delivered up according to
the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you
crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
•And the believers prayed, “…for truly in this city there
were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus,
whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do
whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to
take place.”
•Those texts affirm that sinful men willingly and gladly
killed the Lord Jesus Christ.
•Man is really responsible for his own actions because
man really wanted to commit them.
•And yet, God had planned, purposed, and brought to
pass the death of the Lord Jesus.
•God ruled over and governed the crucifixion of Jesus
in order to save sinners.
•We simply must accept all of the biblical data: God
reigns over all actions of sinful men. And sinful men
really want to commit them. And sinful men are really
responsible for what they’ve done.
•We must accept all of those things to be true at the
same time because God has plainly and clearly said that
they are all true at the same time.
•Even if we can’t fathom it or reconcile it all in our finite
human minds, that does not change the truth that God
has revealed in Scripture.
•We must simply deal with it and believe what the holy
God, who never lies, has told us.
So then, the sermon this evening will be dealing
with God’s works of providence.
•Our big theme is this: God controls it all. There are no
accidents. God rules His creation and all that happens.
•God is never far away. God is always at work. And He
is at work to bring His holy will to pass.
•Brothers and sisters, YOUR GOD REIGNS.
Now, with all that said, I will pray for God’s blessing
on the preaching of His Word.
•And then we will dive into our catechism question for
this evening.
(PRAY)
Our Heavenly Father,
Thank you for another opportunity to gather on the
Sabbath with your People to worship you.
We ask now that you would humble our hearts and
make us receptive to your truth by the powerful working
of your Holy Spirit.
Open our eyes to the Scriptures and cause us to
behold wonderful things in your Law.
Grant us faith to believe what you have revealed. And
to rejoice in the truth that you alone are God, and you
reign over all things.
Sanctify us in your truth. Your Word is truth.
We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.
Amen.
Our Question for this evening. I ask that you would
read the Answer with me:
•Q. What are God’s works of providence?
•A. God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise,
and powerful preserving, and governing all His
creatures, and all their actions.
•(Let’s do that again.)
1.) Our catechism flatly affirms that God controls
all things. He preserves and governs ALL His
creatures and ALL their actions.
•This is totally
exhaustive. If it has been created, then it is preserved
and governed, it is kept in existence and ruled over by
God.
•And since God
has made all things that exist, and He Himself is the only
uncreated Being, then He preserves and governs
literally everything in the universe.
•He determines
when something comes into being and when it passes
away. (HE PRESERVES.)
•And while
something exists, it does exactly as God desires it to do.
(HE GOVERNS.)
•The big idea
being affirmed here is that the entire creation is
dependent upon God and is directed in all things
according to His will.
So let’s consider God’s Providence IN GENERAL.
•What does the
Scripture say about this?
•Well, it is very
broad. There are sweeping declarations in Scripture
about God’s universal rule.
•Psalm 103:19
says, “The LORD has established His throne in the
heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.”
•God’s kingdom
rules over all. That is, God is the King over all the world.
His governance is universal.
•Nothing is left
out here. I don’t mean to insult your intelligence, but if
God’s kingdom rules over all, then there is nothing
anywhere outside of God’s dominion.
And this extends, then, to all realms.
•As Psalm
135:6 says, “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in
heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.”
•God reigns in
heaven and on earth.
•Divine
providence extends much further than just the world
around us. It extends to the heavenly realm.
•And it extends
to all deeps. Even the deepest depths of Hell and the
Pit.
•Our God reigns
over all realms. He does whatever He pleases. And He
does so EVERYWHERE.
And He rules over all creatures not only in
sovereign authority but also in the preservation of
all things.
•Hebrews 1:3
says of God the Son, and it applies to every Person in
the Trinity as well, “…He upholds the universe by the
word of His power…”
•You ever
considered that? The universe continues to exist
because God wills it. He upholds it.
•And if God
ever ceased to uphold the world, it would cease to exist.
It would dissolve into nothingness immediately.
•This world
does not exist independently of God’s Providence. It
does not exist apart from God.
•You and I exist
at the pleasure of the King. And so do all other things in
this world.
God’s providence extends to all inanimate
creation.
•Job 38:31
says, “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose
the cords of Orion?”
•In that verse,
God is challenging Job. God is saying, “I control the
stars. Can you?”
•So God
controls inanimate creation. The stars are just one
example.
•Even the rocks
of the earth exist and lay where they do at the command
of God.
And God reigns over irrational creatures. Animals.
•With reference
to the plagues that God sent upon Egypt, Psalm 105:31
says, “He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and
gnats throughout their country.”
•At the word of
God, those insects came upon Egypt.
•And you’ll
remember how the frogs did the same.
•So animals are
ruled over and controlled by God. He preserves and
governs even what animals seem to do randomly.
But also, remember the weather!
•In Egypt, God
made it rain hail and lightning as a plague. He also
blacked out Egypt and basically turned the sun off in that
land.
•We see this
Matthew 5:45 as well when Jesus says that God, “…
makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
•Our God reigns
over the weather.
Brothers and sisters, creation is NEVER
independent of God.
•God upholds
the world by His works of providence.
•And God
governs all things in this world by His works of
providence.
•There is no
separating the world and all in it from it’s Creator. God is
involved. He is not sitting back and watching the world
spin.
•The universe
belongs to God. And so, He governs everyone and
everything in it.
•As Charles
Spurgeon once said, “I believe that every particle of dust
that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom
more or less than God wishes.”
•Christian,
YOUR GOD REIGNS!
2.) Now, we could be finished with only those
things said.
•Those texts
are broad enough to establish the doctrine of God’s
Providence.
•BUT, the
Scriptures say more. And I believe God has said more
about His preserving and governing His creation in order
to make it sink into our hearts.
•This isn’t a
doctrine to be memorized. This is a truth about God to
be embraced, lived in, and rejoiced in.
•God gets
specific in the Scriptures about His works of Providence.
And I think He does so because He expects us to own
His Hand in all things.
•God actually
pronounces a curse on those who do not recognize His
works: “Because they do not regard the works of the
LORD or the work of His hands, He will tear them down
and build them up on more.” (Psalm 28:5)
•If we are to
worship God in all things, we must be quick to own the
works of His hands.
•So let’s
consider now some of God’s works of Providence in
particular.
God rules over the span of our lives.
•Job 14:5
says, “Since his (man’s) days are determined, and the
number of his months is with You…”
•God gives life.
And God takes life away. Blessed be the name of the
LORD.
•He doesn’t sit
back and wait to see how long we live. But He brings us
into the world by His Hand. And He removes us from this
world when He sees fit.
•Truly, in the
most literal sense, our lives are in His hand and He
determines our days.
•Nobody dies
by accident. Not in the ultimate sense.
But God doesn’t just rule over our lifespan. He
rules over our lives. He governs all our actions.
•Proverbs 16:9
says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD
establishes his steps.”
•Oh, you do
things. Yes, you do. And you really desire to do them all.
And you are responsible for what you do. You plan your
way and then walk in it.
•And at the
same exact time, you are doing exactly what God, in His
secret will, has determined you to do.
•You cannot act
apart from Him. Every step you take, every action you
take, all of it is under God’s reign.
•There has
never been an angel or man who has ever taken even a
single breath apart from the Providence of God. How
much less have men or angels committed an act apart
from Him?
•The LORD
governs our lives and actions.
He is the One who gives us the ability to do our
natural, human living actions.
•As Paul says in
Acts 17:28, “For in Him we live and move and have our
being…”
•Your ability to
act at all comes from God’s Hand.
•All power
belongs to God. And so, we live and move in Him. We
cannot act apart from Him.
•We cannot do
a single thing with God lending power to us to be able to
DO.
•So then, every
act, even the most basic act of a beating heart or getting
up from a chair is governed by God.
•If He does not
give the power to do, we cannot do.
•“We cannot do
what?” We cannot DO ANYTHING.
•It’s not just
the “special” actions of men that are governed by God,
but ALL the actions of men.
And He is the One who has given you your ability
to work.
•God has
blessed you with your various talents and abilities and
aptitudes. It is He who has strengthened your mind and
hands to do whatever it is that you do.
•Consider
Exodus 35:31. There speaking of two men who were to
do skillful work for the Tabernacle we read, “and He
(God) has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with
intelligence, with knowledge, and with all
craftsmanship…”
•Do you
honestly think that you have the knowledge, intelligence,
and craftsmanship that you do simply because you have
it?
•That’s a foolish
thought! God has given you your abilities. And you
should recognize that all you are able to do and
accomplish is because He has given it to you.
All our good actions are ruled over by God.
•Psalm 37:23
says, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in His way…”
•God
establishes all of our righteous steps. If we do good, if
we do something that pleases Him, it’s because He has
empowered us to do so.
•And more than
that, He is the One who has given us the desire to do
good.
•As Paul says in
Philippians 2:13, “…for it is God who works in you, both
to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
•Your desire to
obey the Lord, comes from the Lord. And your ability to
work, to do the good you desire, comes from the Lord.
•Our righteous
actions are ruled over by God.
But even the evil actions of men are governed by
God.
•In the Book of
Genesis, Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery by his
wicked brothers. They sinned against him greatly.
•In the end,
God used Joseph’s slavery to put him in a high place in
Egypt and save many lives. But, nevertheless, Joseph’s
brothers committed a horrible sin against him.
•But what does
Joseph say? What does the Word say?
•In Genesis
45:8 Joseph says, “So it was not you who sent me here,
but God…”
•God was ruling
over even the wicked actions of sinful men. The brother
sinned against Joseph. They wanted to do it. They really
did it.
•But even in
that, they still did exactly as God had willed to be done.
And so, we can say that GOD SENT JOSEPH TO
EGYPT. And He used the sinful actions of Joseph’s
brothers to do so.
•So then, this is
one example of man that we could look at, but the point
stands that God reigns over the evil actions of sinful
men.
•Nothing, not
even sin, happens apart from God’s Hand of
Providence. NOTHING is apart from Him.
To go more broad, we see that God rules over kings
and kingdoms.
•And that
means that He rules over the nation we live in as well.
And He rules over who is in charge, humanly speaking.
And how things go in the nation.
•Daniel 2:21
says, “He changes times and seasons; He removes
kings and sets up kings…”
•And Daniel
4:17 says, “The sentence is by they decree of the
watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to
the end that the loving may know that the Most High
rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will
and sets over it the lowliest of men.”
•God
determines who runs governments. And what
governments will exist. And when they will cease. And
how they will fare while they exist.
•Not one thing
is going on in any nation or with any human ruler that
our God is not in control of.
You know, our God even reigns over seemingly
random events.
•In 1 Kings 22,
it was prophesied that King Ahab, the King of Israel
would be struck down in battle. God had spoken through
a prophet and declared that it would come to pass.
•Knowing this,
King Ahab disguised himself and went into battle to fight.
And then we read this:
•1 Kings
22:34: “But a certain man drew his bow AT RANDOM
and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor
and the breastplate…”
•The Syrian
solider had no idea that he was shooting at the King of
Israel. And it seems that he might not have even really
been aiming.
•But the arrow
was true and hit it’s mark between the king’s armor. And
Ahab was struck down.
•Why is this?
Because God controlled the solider, the arrow, and
Ahab.
•So what
seemed random, was not random. Why? Because God
reigns over all!
And this reminds us of Proverbs 16:33.
•“The lot is cast
into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”
•God controls
even how the dice fall. What seems more random and
uncontrolled than that?
•But,
nevertheless, the dice fall as God wills.
Brothers and sisters, I hope you can see and gladly
confess that God your God reigns.
•He rules over
every person, every thing, every action, every
everything. He is sovereign over the works of His
hands.
•God governs
all His creatures and all their actions.
3.) But not only does He govern. He also
PRESERVES.
•We’ve also
seen this broadly already, but I want you to see this
personally as well.
•God’s
preservation simply means that all we are and have
comes from His Hand. By His Providence, He cares for
and provides for and sustains each one of us.
God keeps you alive. From moment to moment, He
sustains your life.
•Psalm 66:9
says of God, “…who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.”
•You’ve only
made it this far in life because God hasn’t yet taken your
life from you.
•He alone
keeps you among the living. Not your smarts. Not your
strength. Not your plans. GOD preserves your life. God
keeps you from danger and death.
•Think of all the
times, and I’m sure we all have them, when if you
would’ve just been on the road two minutes earlier, you
would’ve been in the accident ahead of you.
•Or all of the
times where if you would’ve done something just slightly
different, you would’ve perished.
•Or if one of
your children would’ve been just a few feet to the left,
they would’ve been fatally wounded.
•But God has
kept our souls among the living. He preserves our lives
moment to moment. And not one of us will fall to the
ground apart from Him.
God has given you your food.
•We don’t think
about this much. We think food comes from the store.
But no, food comes from God.
•Acts 14:17
says, “Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, for
He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful
seasons, satisfying your hears with food and gladness.”
•God has
caused the crops to grow. He has caused the seasons
to come and go. He has given the sunshine and the
rain.
•He has given
you every morsel of food you’ve ever eaten. For if He
did not provide, you would not have.
God gives us physical rest as well.
•Psalm 127:2
says, “…for He gives to His beloved sleep.”
•If you’ve ever
felt refreshed after a time of sleep, it is because God
gave you sleep. He could’ve kept you awake. But
instead He gave you sleep.
•Even our
bodily rest comes from His hand.
God preserves us. All that we have is from Him.
•There is much
more that could be said, but I think this is enough for
now.
•Brothers and
sisters, we ought to be grateful.
•Everything we
have, everything we are, everything is from the Hand of
our God.
•Truly, He
preserves and governs all His creatures.
•Don’t ever
forget that. This should lead you to worship Him. This
should cause you to own Him in all things and recognize
Him standing behind all things.
•Don’t ever
forget that He rules and reigns over you every moment
of every day.
4.) Brothers and sisters, there is no such thing
as “chance” or “randomness” in God’s world.
•Nothing is left
outside of His reign. Nothing just happens because it
must. Rather, all of it is under His control.
•We may speak
of chance occurrences, but we must recognize that we
are speaking in a merely human way.
•The even
SEEMED RANDOM to us and from our perspective. But
it was not actually random.
•Everything is a
work of God’s Providence.
To truly believe that “chance” actually exists is to
functionally be an atheist.
•Since God IS,
all things are governed and preserved by Him. There
simply is no other way.
•God is
involved. And God is shaping all things according to His
holy and wise will.
So, again, I say, we must own God’s Hand in
everything we see in the world.
•We must
recognize that, whether happy or hard, God is reigning
over every situation and everything that we see and
even things we do not see.
•His wisdom is
infinite. And He does all things well.
•At the back of
all things stands the holy God who is working all things
for His glory and our good.
•Remember
that in everything as you walk through this world.
•Brothers and
sisters, to believe in Divine Providence is simply to
believe that GOD IS.
5.) But let’s get personal again. For this doctrine is
a very person thing. It effects every single one of us
in every aspect of our lives:
1. This means, and necessarily means, that ALL YOUR
HARDSHIPS come from the Providence of God.
•Every hard
thing you’ve ever had come upon you, from a broken
down car, a bruised arm, or a headache, all the way to
the death of a child or cancer has come, ultimately, from
the Hand of God.
•Since God
rules over all, whatever pain has come upon you has
come by way of Divine Providence.
•Now, I know
this is a hard pill to swallow. But it what the Scriptures
teach.
•God rules over
all. So, even the bad things that have happened to you
have not come apart from His rule over your life and the
lives of everyone and everything around you.
We saw this earlier, but I will remind you: Joseph
affirmed this in the Book of Genesis.
•He had been
sold into slavery by his brothers. He became a slave in
Egypt. He was falsely accused of attempted rape. And
he was imprisoned for years.
•He was sinned
against horribly and many times. He suffered much
mistreatment. He suffered much physical and emotional
pain, I’m sure.
•But what does
he say?
•“So it was not
you who sent me here, but God…” (Genesis 45:8)
•And later he
said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God
meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20)
•God sent
Joseph to Egypt.
•And God was
working in all the hardship.
•It was a hard
providence. No doubt about that. But it was God’s
Providence, nonetheless.
Brothers and sisters, let us not be a foolish people
who say that only the happy things come from
God’s Hand.
•No. Rather,
let’s own God’s Hand IN ALL THINGS.
•For if only the
happy things come from God, then from whom do the
hard things come upon us?
•Who is actually
in control of your life if the hardships you must suffer and
endure do not come from God’s Hand and plan?
•I shudder to
think of any alternative! And you should, too!
•As odd as this
may sound to 21st Century ears, rejoice even in this!
God rules over all! Even our pain!
And know this: Hard providences are no indicator that
God does not love you or care about you.
•Would anyone
say that God did not love Joseph? Of course God loved
Joseph!
•Even more,
would anyone dare say that God does not love His only
begotten Son, our Lord Jesus? And Christ was beaten,
bloodied, and nailed to a Cross after a life of hardship!
And all of that by the Hand and plan of God!
•God’s heavy
hand upon us is not necessarily and indication of His
displeasure toward us.
•Sometimes, for
reasons we do not yet know but will someday, our God
brings suffering to His People whom He loves.
God’s Providence is sometimes hard.
•But we must
remember that He is doing something.
•He is not doing
it for no good reason.
•He is not that
kind of God.
•He is at work
bringing His good and holy will to pass, even in our
suffering. He is reigning over all.
•And one day,
we will say, “He has done all things well.”
2. But, even with this heavy truth, do not forget that
YOUR BLESSINGS comes from the Providence of God,
too.
•Whether they
be big or small, every good thing you have is from the
Lord.
•Your life. Your
family. Your breath. Your food. Your clothing. Your
transportation. Your job. Your home.
•Your abilities.
Your working body. Your senses. Your lively mind.
•It is all from
Him.
But more than that!
•Your children.
Your friendships. Your church family.
•Laughter.
Love. Beauty. Gladness. A full heart.
•All of this is
from the Lord.
•Every good
thing is from His Hand.
And, oh, brother and sisters, let us not forget that
our salvation comes from Him!
•Why do you
know God? Why do you believe the Gospel? Why do
you find Christ beautiful? Why are you here this
evening?
•You did not do
that. No. Your life has been governed by God every step
of the way.
•He put
someone in your life to tell you about our crucified and
risen Lord Jesus who died to take away your sins.
•He gave you
the desire to listen.
•He caused you
to be born again.
•He gave you
the gift of faith.
•It is by His
hand and holy will that you are what you are.
•It by His
gracious Hand of Providence that you were converted to
Christ!
May we never, on our lives, ever forget that all we
have and all we are comes from our God.
•Whether hard
or happy, whether sorrowful or joyous, God
providentially rules over us!
•Bless His holy
name!
•We must learn
to say with Job, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has
taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
•And may we
learn to rejoice with the Psalmist and say, “The LORD
reigns!”
6.) Now, my dear brothers and sisters, we must
admit that God’s works of Providence are often
mysterious.
•As Paul says in
Romans 11:33, “How unsearchable are His judgments
and how inscrutable His ways!”
•His judgments
are very deep.
•We do not
always know why God does what He does. We do not
always know why He has ruled in the way that He has.
•We can’t figure
it out. We simply can’t. It’s beyond us.
•We can’t see
how everything is fitting together or why God has
brought to pass what He has.
And we need to accept this.
•Some things
are simply not for us to know. At least, not now. Not in
this world.
•And instead of
trying to break our brains to figure it out, we need to
learn what David learned:
•Psalm 131: “O
LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised
too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great
and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and
quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like
a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in
the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.”
Brothers and sisters, let God be God.
•And let that be
enough for you.
•He the King of
all kings and the Lord of all lords.
•He is your
God. Let that be enough.
7.) So then, this doctrine calls for responses in us.
And they are all in our hearts.
1. Knowing that God governs and preserves all His
creatures should put trust and confidence in your heart.
•Trust and
confidence IN HIM.
•Your God
reigns. So do not be afraid.
•He knows what
He is doing. His providence is wise.
•No matter what
befalls you, trust Him. For nothing can come upon you
apart from Him.
•And nothing
can happen in this world apart from Him.
2. Knowing that our God rules over all should put us in
a posture of silence and submission.
•Brothers and
sisters, do not complain.
•To complain is
to ultimately complain against God and most holy, wise,
and powerful works of providence.
•Accept His
decisions over your life. Be silent before Him. Have a
silent trust in His will.
•And submit
yourself to His reign.
Hear me: Take your pain and sorrow to Him in prayer.
Yes. Pour yourself out to Him.
•That is no sin.
That is what we see in Scripture.
•But do not
complain against Him or think in your heart that He has
no right to do as He has done.
•Rather, in all
things, embrace what He has given.
•As they hymn
says, “I take content what He has sent. Whate’re my
God ordains is right.”
3. Knowing that our God controls all things should
cause us to be full of praise and thanksgiving.
•Christian,
praise Him for His kindness toward you!
•He has given
you all that you have. And you have much.
•Even if all you
have is Christ, you have more than you could’ve ever
hoped for. And you have more than you’ll ever need.
•Everything we
have and everything we are should cause us to cry tears
of joy and sing the highest praises to our God who has
given us everything.
So Christian, trust Him.
•Submit to Him.
•And praise
Him.
•For your God
reigns.
•And He reigns
over you for your good and His glory.
May the sovereign God plant these truths deep in
our hearts, that we might glorify Him in all things.
•Amen.