Hi how are you all today? I am well. Today is Father’s Day in my country. It is a day set aside to honour our dads – natural and spiritual, give them gifts and make this day special for them. It is also a day where we honour our most perfect Father God and remember how amazing He is. Every day should be Father’s Day for God.
My dad has passed away so it is a sad day for me but also a happy day as I remember the good times we had together.
This week I want to look at the word providence. One of the meanings of providence in the Oxford dictionary is the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power. It can also mean guardianship and care of us by a god. If you are a Christian you know that only one god can provide this to us and that is God- our creator and saviour.
I really felt that God gave me this word for today but I really didn’t know what it meant. But now I know the meaning it is very fitting to look at this word on Father’s Day.
God the Father shows us His protective care of us and it is sometimes through our natural fathers. Our dads are meant to be the protectors and guardians of the family. They are the ones that provide that safety and security for the wife and children. Some fathers don’t or are absent but those families can miss out on this role that a father should provide.
If we don’t have a natural father for whatever reason, then God will doubly be our protector and guardian. Let’s look at some instances in the Bible where the providence of God was seen.
1. God provided Noah to build the plans for an ark to save and protect his family in the big flood
2. God provided a cloud by day for shade and a fire by night for warmth for the Israelites as they walked through the desert.
3. When the Egyptians chased after the Israelites after they exited from Egypt, the Angel of the Lord and the pillar of cloud came between both camps so that one camp did not go near the other all night (Exodus 14:19-20).
4. God closed the mouths of the lions when Daniel was thrown in the lions den for praying to God.
5. Jesus was in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they were tossed in the fire for refusing to bow down to the kings statue.
6. The army of the Lord was encamped around the town when the enemy tried to get in to hurt Elisha.
But you say these are all Old Testament stories. God shows us in the natural in the Old Testament what He does in the spiritual for us.
Remember in the book of Acts, the angel came and freed Peter from prison. This can still happen for us.
Often we don’t see the providence of God as it happens in the supernatural. God says we don’t fight against flesh and blood but spirits. Our protection happens in the spirit realm and is evidenced in the natural realm.
It is not until we get to heaven and our story is played that we will truly see and begin to know the providence of God. In our every day lives we just need to have faith that the providence of God is working.
How can we be assured of this? Easy – in every story mentioned above and many others in the Bible, the people were in the exact place God wanted them and in obedience to Him.
This is how we know for sure – be certain you are where God wants you and doing what He wants you to do. If you aren’t then the providence of God may not work except with God’s mercy over our lives.
This week let’s seek God and ensure we are where He wants us and obeying Him. Then walk in faith knowing that providence is over you.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended for you.
Karen
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