God’s Plan / God’s Providence

Introduction:

What are some attributes of God that speak to him as king? Sovereignty, Providence, Power, Majesty, Justice

Key Truth:

God’s Providence — God’s government/governing of Creation.

The word “providence” is striking. It comes from the word “provide” which has two parts: “pro” (Latin: “forward,” “on behalf of”) and “vide” (Latin: “to see”). So you might think that “provide” would mean: “to see forward” or “to foresee.” But it doesn’t. It means “to supply what is needed; to give sustenance or support.” And so the noun “providence” has come to mean the act of “providing for or sustaining and governing the universe by God.” — John Piper

Triumph through trials

Providence came to Everett in 1905. But, the real story begins 100 years before, in Quebec, with one woman’s vision and vow to simply care for and serve others Émilie Tavernier was born in Montreal in 1800. At 23, she married John Baptiste Gamelin. Unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived. Within four years, she’d be forced to deal with the deaths of her husband – and their three children.  Stricken with grief, Émilie Gamelin occupied herself with the work of the Ladies of Charity, an organization that helped Montreal’s poor. She began to see the poor and needy as her new family – even using her home and inheritance to shelter destitute people of all kinds – orphaned or runaway children, the mentally ill, homeless, handicapped and immigrants.

Humility, simplicity and charity. Above all, charity.

Émilie worked on her own for 15 years. Then, along with the Bishop of Montreal, Ignace Bourget, founded the Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor – the organization now known as the Sisters of Providence. In 1844, after Émilie took her religious vows, she was appointed the first Superior of the congregation. Under Mother Gamelin’s direction, the Sisters of Providence grew rapidly and achieved much. In 1851, from her deathbed, Mother Gamelin urged her sisters to be mindful of the virtues she’d embraced throughout her life: “Humility, simplicity and charity. Above all, charity.”

Pioneering passion: Mother Joseph leads Sisters of Providence to the Northwest

Mother Gamelin founded the Sisters of Providence. But, it was another woman - Mother Joseph - who brought them to the Northwest. In 1823, Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart was born Esther Pariseau, the third of 12 children. She was raised on a farm in Quebec and learned a variety of skills as a result of her rural lifestyle: sewing, weaving, carding wool and caring for children. In addition, her father, a coach maker, taught her carpentry and design skills she’d later apply to the construction of some of the first hospitals and schools in the Northwest. Esther entered the Sisters of Providence. As a novice, she was trained in nursing in the Sister’s pharmacy and infirmary. She used her sewing skills to make robes, habits and vestments. And, she helped the treasurer with financial matters. Additional daily tasks included marketing, baking and the laundry. In 1845, Esther Pariseau took her vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor. She received her name in religion: Sister Joseph. In 1856, Sister Joseph led a group of four nuns from Montreal to the Washington Territory. Bishop Bourget dedicated the new mission in the west to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He bestowed a new name on its young superior: Sister Joseph would be known as Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Under her leadership and trust in divine direction, more than 30 hospitals, schools and homes were opened for orphans, the elderly and the sick in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and southern British Columbia.

Whatever concerns the poor is always our affair

Mother Joseph of Sacred Heart died in 1902, at the age of 79. Her last words to the nuns gathered at her bedside: "My dear Sisters, allow me to recommend to you the care of the poor in our houses, as well as those without. Take good care of them. Assist them and receive them. Then, you will have no regrets. Do not say: 'Ah! This does not concern me, let others see to them.' My Sisters, whatever concerns the poor is always our affair."

1905: The Sisters purchase Everett's Monte Cristo Hotel for $50,000 and turn it into Providence Hospital, featuring 75 beds, staffed by 11 Sisters and three employees. More than 400 patients were treated for the first year.

God’s providence is the care, provision, government, and power that sustains his creation. Providence hospital serves Everett and the surrounding areas. God’s providence serves all of mankind.

Colossians 1:17 (KJV 1900)

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Hebrews 1:1–3 (KJV 1900)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Ephesians 1:11 KJV 1900

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Key Concepts:

God’s providence reaches to all PLACES.

There is nowhere that falls outside of the government or rule of God.

Psalm 139:7–10 (KJV 1900)

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.

The Bible clearly teaches God’s providential control over the universe at large. (Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11)

Psalm 103:19 KJV 1900

19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all.

God’s providence over the physical world. (Job 37; Matthew 5:45)

Psalm 135:6 KJV 1900

6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, That did he in heaven, and in earth, In the seas, and all deep places.

God’s providence reaches to all PERSONS. (but especially to his people)

There is no one who falls outside of the government or rule of God.

Psalm 33:18–19 KJV 1900

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, Upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 34:7 KJV 1900

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

God’s providence over nations. (Job 12:23; Psalm 22:28; Acts 17:26)

Proverbs 21:1 KJV 1900

1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever he will.

God’s providence reaches to all AFFAIRS and occurences in the world.

There is nothing that happens in this world that is outside of the government or rule of God.

Psalm 75:6–7 KJV 1900

6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, Nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalm 147:8–9 KJV 1900

8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, And to the young ravens which cry.

Matthew 10:30 KJV 1900

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

There are two objections to this statement concerning God’s providence.

1. There are many things done in the world which are very disorderly and irregular; surely God’s providence is not in these things.

Yes, the things that seem to us irregular, God makes use of to his own glory. Suppose you were in a smith's shop, and should see there several sorts of tools, some crooked, some bowed, others hooked, would you condemn all these things, because they do not look handsome? The smith makes use of them all for doing his work. Thus it is with the providences of God; they seem to us to be very crooked and strange—yet they all carry on God's work.

Isaiah 10 — story of the Assyrians used by God to destroy Israel (Isaiah 10:5-19). Yet it’s the perfect backdrop of a return to the Lord (Isaiah 10:20-Isaiah 12:6).

Have you ever asked a question like this: “Why does God allow ______?” This is a question concerning his providence.

Augustine says well, "We are indebted to wicked men, who against their wills do us good," As the corn is indebted to the flail to thresh off its husks, or as the iron is indebted to the file to brighten it; just so, the godly are indebted to the wicked, though it be against their will, to brighten and refine their graces. Now, then, if the wicked do God's own work, though against their will, he will not let them be losers by it; he will raise them in the world, and give them a full cup of earthly comforts. Thus you see those providences are wise and regular, which to us seem strange and crooked.

2. If God has a hand in ordering all things, he has a hand in the sins of men.

No, by no means, he has no hand in any man's sin. God cannot go contrary to his own nature, he cannot do any unholy action, any more than the sun can be said to be darkened. Here you must take heed of two things:

you must take heed of making God ignorant of men's sins;

you must take heed of making God to have a hand in men's sins.

Is it likely that God is both the author of sin, and the avenger of sin? Is it a likely thing that God should make a law against sin, and then have a hand in breaking his own law? God in his providence permits men's sins. "He allowed all nations to walk in their own ways." Acts 14:16. God permitted their sin, which he never would, if he could not bring good out of it. Had not sin been permitted—God's justice in punishing sin, and his mercy in pardoning sin, had not been so well manifested. The Lord is pleased to permit sin—but he has no hand in sin.

God permits evil (Acts 14:16); he punishes evil with evil (Ps. 81:11-12; Rom. 1:26-32); he brings good out of evil (Gen. 50:20; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; 13:27; 1 Cor. 2:7-8); he uses evil to test and discipline those he loves (Matt. 4:1-11; Heb. 12:4-14); and one day he will redeem his people from the power and presence of evil altogether (Rev. 21:27; 22:14-15).

God’s providence is not FATALISTIC.

Fatalism is defined as the, “doctrine that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them.”

Fatalism is the view that our choices don’t affect the future.

I think we sometimes can have a wrong view of God’s providence in our lives. Something like… God is sitting up in heaven determining every event and choice of our lives. If that’s the case, why must we make decisions, etc…

Romans 8:28–30 KJV 1900

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

God’s providence is not void of HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY.

*give testimony with an emphasis on my parents responsibility

God’s providence does not eliminate human responsibility, but rather fuels it. We can make choices and decisions confidently knowing that God will work things out for our good and for his glory.

*plug for Just Do Something.

We can know God’s will!

Human responsibility and God’s will.

Matthew 6:33 KJV 1900

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus instructs believers to actively pursue God's will in their lives—this involves making conscious choices and taking action.

Philippians 2:12 KJV 1900

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

While salvation is ultimately a gift from God, Paul encourages believers to actively participate in their sanctification—the process of growing in holiness.

A helpful analogy might be a train journey. God, in His wisdom and sovereignty, determines the destination and lays down the tracks for our lives. However, within this divine framework, humans are responsible for choosing whether to board the train, where to sit, what to observe along the way, and how they interact with fellow passengers. Our decisions matter; they impact our experience on the journey even though the ultimate destination remains the same.

God’s providence and prayer.

Why pray if God has already decided everything?

Key Examples:

Abraham and Isaac

Joseph

Genesis 50:20 KJV 1900

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Esther

God is not mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther.

Jonah

Jesus Christ — the Gospel

Key Implications:

ADMIRE God’s providence.

Think about the Gospel. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s providence.

The providence of God keeps the whole creation upon the wheels, or else it would soon be dissolved, and the very axle of the world would break in pieces. If God's providence should be withdrawn but for a moment, creatures would be dissolved, and run into their first nothing. Without this wise providence of God, there would be anxiety and confusion in the whole world, just like an army when it is routed and scattered. The providence of God infuses comfort and virtue into everything we enjoy. Our clothes would not warm us, our food would not nourish us, without the special providence of God. And does not all this deserve your admiration of providence?

Learn to quietly SUBMIT to divine providence.

It may be, we think sometimes we could order things better, if we had the government of the world in our hands; but alas! should we be left to our own choice, we should choose those things that are hurtful for us!

Let us be content that God should rule the world; learn to acquiesce in his will, and submit to his providence.

Let divine providence be an antidote to FEAR.

We sometimes fear what the outcome of things will be, when men grow high in their actings; but let us not make things worse by our fear. Men are limited in their power, and cannot go one hair's breadth further than God's providence permits. He might let Sennacherib's army march towards Jerusalem—but they shall not shoot one arrow against it. "Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies!" Isa 37:36. When Israel was encompassed between Pharaoh and the Red Sea, no question, some of their hearts began to tremble, and they looked upon themselves as dead men; but Providence so ordered it—that the sea was a safe passage to Israel, and a sepulcher to Pharaoh and all his host.

Let divine providence cause THANKFULNESS.

We are kept alive by a wonderful-working Providence. We live in a gospel-land as according to God’s providence.

Conclusion:

The doctrine of providence teaches Christians that they are never in the grip of blind forces (fortune, chance, luck, fate); all that happens to them is divinely planned, and each event comes as a new summons to trust, obey, and rejoice, knowing that all is for one's spiritual and eternal good (Rom. 8:28). — J.I. Packer