In my last post, I wrote about God’s ability to move the man or woman that is surrendered to living in His will. I said, in essence, that God could maneuver a person into the exact position for following His will. I referred to it as God playing me like an instrument. The official words for this would probably be the Hand of Providence. Providence at its core is God’s ability to enact His guidance on His creation. This is such good news. He is above all and works all things together for His good pleasure. Hallelujah, His pleasure is always good!
Hand of Providence – God Behind the Scenes
I heard a quote about this from John Nelson Darby who wrote, “God’s ways are behind the scenes; but He moves all of the scenes which He is behind.” Wonderful, huh? This is seen in the Book of Esther. God’s name is not even mentioned anywhere in this book of the Bible, but His movement is seen all over it. God’s providential fingerprint is seen everywhere and it’s the evidence of His moving hand. This is His providence. And thank God for it.
Skip Heitzig said it something like this: God moves ordinary events and strings them together perfectly so that His Will, will ultimately be done. This is such great news. This means we don’t have a weak, insipid God but One who is able and is truly involved. The Shepherd of our hearts is shepherd of our lives.
The Hand of Providence Everywhere
Does this mean God’s providence is only seen in the lives of His children who are utterly surrendered to His Will? Not exactly. God’s providence is seen all over but it benefits more completely the man yielded to being IN His Will. The one living IN God’s Will experiences Him! It is relationship with Him and the joy and adventure of being shepherded.
I could show you several places in my own life when I knew He was working but I was not at all His. I wasn’t particularly enjoying the adventure of navigation, but I did reap the benefits. How? I can attribute it to the fact that God always gets His man (hehehe).
The Hand of Providence is God’s sovereign control and amazing grace. While we can make our plans, it is God who determines, establishes, and directs our steps. Let’s say your little Billy is a bit of a prodigal son. You have the promise but none of the fulfillment. God’s Hand of Providence is moving to string ordinary events to see His promise achieved. Is this a painless proposition? Assuredly not! Quite the contrary, it might take a lot of pain to bring about the fulfillment. But most certainly God brings about events and circumstances to make His Will happen.
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
Proverbs 16:9 NLT
Like it, John! Twice this word appears — a word that is quite beautiful to me: “ordinary.” Aren’t we (well, I’ll speak for myself) most impressed with the profound, the extreme, the spectacular? No, no; He’s all about ordinary: ordinary men were His disciples; miracles performed for ordinary people — HE was ordinary (the son of a carpenter?!)- but not. Moses…David…Ruth; “not many wise…powerful…noble.” The ordinary events in our lives that change, mold and transform us: that job, this new neighborhood, last month’s hospital stay; that song or book — yes, thank you, John; I’ll take ordinary any day .… Read more »
SO true Pauline, He work His extraordinary into our ordinary life. Like you said, not many noble or wise. The point is always, we are the ordinary and He is the extraordinary! Love you!