God Reigns: The Providential Care of God

Within the last couple of chapters in Genesis, everyone is dreaming. Joseph is dreaming of a world in which he is promoted— a land where brothers, father, and mother bow down to him.

The butler and baker— they are the king’s prisoners. They begin to dream. Both wish for life outside the walls of the prison— one escapes and the other is executed.

Then, there is Pharoah. He begins to dream.

WHAT’S ALL THIS DREAMING ABOUT AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

it suggest that there is an innate desire in all of us to know that all is well in our present and that all will be well in the future.

And the truth be told, there is only one that that this is possible, and that is the knowledge that God is ruling and reigning over all the circumstances of our lives!

Ephesians 1:11–12: “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: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

There is, however, a dark cloud that is shadowing over our land today. It is the cloud of secularism. It is the worldview of our age. Its the dominant thought of academia, government, criminal justice, media, entertainment and most hearts. It is the belief that

man does not need God

disregards and rejects any form of religious faith and worship. Its primary objective is the total elimination of all religious elements from our society.

and without God…there are no morals…no objective truth…no glory…only man himself.

The fact is, you might have already been infected by this mind virus.

the theology of secularism is ATHEISM

the philosophy of secularism is is NATURALISM…that the earth is all there is

the ethics of secularism are man-made, relativistic morality….if it feels good, do it…live your truth

the biology of secularism is Darwinian evolution— molecules to man

the psychology of secularism is a denial of the spirit and soul- a rejection that man is more than his body

the sociology of secularism is the non-traditional family…love is love…

the politics of secularism are liberal, progressive and advocates for a one-world government

the economics of secularism are socialistic

the history of secularism is evolutionistic- Utopian

Yet, God reigns!

Franklin: “I have lived a long time, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

NYC-

9/11

How could God let this happen to America?

REMEMBER OUR CONGRESS AND THEIR REACTION TO 9/11?

TWO ASSUMPTIONS

America is special

God directly intervenes and governs in human events

religious questions- Islam- interpretation of Quran, etc

2008 ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Is this God’s judgment on America for their love of money?

2012- HURRICANE SANDY

Where is God in the storm?

divine question: How could a good God allow this?

COVID-19

for the first time in history, the nation did not turn to God. In other words, a plague was unleashed on the USA, and people turned to SCIENCE…TO GOVERNMENT…TO TECHNOLOGY….Remember, Trust the Science. Fauci said, I am science!

In the history of the world no society has ever functioned without a religious framework— without a worship of the divine! We are the 1st civilazation not oriented to a recognition of God!

Where did our longing go? It went onto everything and anything but God!

Francis Schaeffer: “The attempt to organize society on a secular basis, without reference to God, is like building a house without a foundation.”

But I want you to know this morning that there is a God in Heaven, and He is working His plan!

The proper response to secularism is a thorough understanding of the providence of God! Providence is God’s ability to foresee and govern and to accomplish His purposes in our lives. It means that God is everywhere….working in all things…present in the lives of al people…to accomplish all of His purposes in this world!

Providence is the believer’s conviction that he or she is in the hands of a god, wise, and powerful God who will accomplish his purposes in the world.”

Spurgeon noted years ago, “God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken…and when we cannot trace his hand, we must trust his heart.”

GOD REIGNS: Trust His Timing

Genesis 40:23 “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”

Genesis 41:1 “And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.”

Genesis 41:9 “Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:”

He is never late…He’s never early…He is an on-time God.

If you think He is late, then you don’t understand the purpose He wants to fulfill! For two years, Joseph thought, I can’t wait to get out of here! But for 2 years, God was preparing a throne.

And I want to ask you this question: do you want to live a life of ease or do you want to live a life of purpose? WAITING ON GOD MEANS WE ALLOW HIM TO ESTABLISH EVERYTHING NECESSARY FOR OUR NEXT STEP.

STEPS- lots of waiting periods

Abraham-

75-86-99-120

the Lord appears to Him and asks Him to move

the Lord promised to give a son but the son tarries— Abraham gets ahead of God

for 13 years, Abraham thought Ishmael was the chosen seed

at 99, his bears Isaac

finally asked to offer him

There is so much waiting on God!

FB Meyer: GOD HAS HIS SET TIMES. It is not for us to know them. Indeed, we cannot know them. We must wait for them. If God had told Abraham in Haran that he must wait all those years until he pressed the promised child to his bosom, his heart would have failed him. So in gracious love, the length of the weary years was hidden. And only as they were nearly spent and there were only a few more months to wait, God told him, according to the time of life, "Sarah shall have a son."

If God told you on the front end how long you would wait to find the fulfillment of your desire or pleasure or dream, you'd lose heart. You'd grow weary in well doing. So would I. But He doesn't. He just says, "Wait. I keep My word.

I'm in no hurry. In the process of time I'm developing you to be ready for the promise."

God Reigns: Trust His Power

If I’m Joseph, I’m feeling pretty puny about right now. He’s been in prison for 2 years. And for 13 years, he’s had to have fought feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness…I’m a nobody… a zero without a rim!

But he doesn’t know that this is where the Lord brings all of His men— to the end of themselves. As their power and ability shrinks, He then grows! As Joseph’s dreams die…or at least die in the way he thinks they’ll come to pass…it is at this moment that God’s power overtakes him.

God reveals Genesis 41:16 “And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

God establishes Genesis 41:32 “And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” The word means, “God confirms the promise!” Psalm 93:2 “Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting.” Hosea 6:3 “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; And he shall come unto us as the rain, As the latter and former rain unto the earth.” THE PLAN IS MADE SURE BY THE COUNCIL AND DECREE OF GOD. GOD WILL ORDER IT AND PERFORM IT! IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM!

God performs Genesis 41:32 “And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

Life becomes all about God! DANGER: IT’S NOT ABOUT ME! IT’S ABOUT JESUS!

(SEE Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”)

When we work, we get what men can do, but when we pray, we get what God can do!

Think about all of your striving…your working…laboring…manipulating…coaxing…pressuring…sellling...working your angle…creating your plan…developing your scheme…

Indeed, aren’t so many of these attempts an effort to ensure personal victory OUTSIDE OF THE POWER OF GOD AT WORK IN OUR LIVES?!?!

Joseph might have said, “YOU BROUGHT ME UP HERE TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO…WELL, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING…I’M NOT HERE TO SHOW OUT OR SHOW OFF…I’M HERE TO SAY THAT THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN WHO CAN DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK ACCORDING TO HIS POWER AND GRACE!

God Reigns: Trust His Purposes

Do you remember how small Joseph must have felt? For 2 years he prayed, “God, would you let me out of prison?” But, oh my friend, if he would have only known what God prepared for him. To be out of prison? What a meager vision! Out of prison? No! The Lord said, “I have a throne for you!”

Genesis 41:40–41 “Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.”

42- ring

42- fine linen

42- gold chains

43- rode in Pharaoh’s chariot

43- ruler over all the land

41:55-57

Genesis 50:20–21 “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. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.”

to save

to nourish

to comfort

On the front porch of his little country store in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln and Berry, his partner, stood. Business was all gone, and Berry asked, “How much longer can we keep this going?” Lincoln answered, “It looks as if our business has just about winked out.” Then he continued, “You know, I wouldn’t mind so much if I could just do what I want to do. I want to study law. I wouldn’t mind so much if we could sell everything we’ve got and pay all our bills and have just enough left over to buy one book—Blackstone’s Commentary on English Law, but I guess I can’t.” 

A strange-looking wagon was coming up the road. The driver angled it up close to the store porch, then looked at Lincoln and said, “I’m trying to move my family out west, and I’m out of money. I’ve got a good barrel here that I could sell for fifty cents.” Abraham Lincoln’s eyes went along the wagon and came to the wife looking at him pleadingly, face thin and emaciated. Lincoln ran his hand into his pocket and took out, according to him, “the last fifty cents I had” and said, “I reckon I could use a good barrel.” All day long the barrel sat on the porch of that store. Berry kept chiding Lincoln about it. Late in the evening Lincoln walked out and looked down into the barrel. He saw something in the bottom of it, papers that he hadn’t noticed before. His long arms went down into the barrel and, as he fumbled around, he hit something solid. He pulled out a book and stood petrified: it was Blackstone’s Commentary on English Law. 

Lincoln later wrote, “I stood there holding the book and looking up toward the heavens. There came a deep impression on me that God had something for me to do and He was showing me now that I had to get ready for it. Why this miracle otherwise?” 

God’s wonderful works which happen daily are lightly esteemed, not because they are of no import but because they happen so constantly and without interruption. Man is used to the miracle that God rules the world and upholds all creation, and because things daily run their appointed course, it seems insignificant, and no man thinks it worth his while to meditate upon it and to regard it as God’s wonderful work, and yet it is a greater wonder than that Christ fed five thousand men with five loaves and made wine from water.