#providenceofgod

In the Shadow of Your Wings - Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.Psalm 57:1 NIVDucks, chickens, and some other birds nest on the ground, and their chicks leave the nest long before they can fly. They will follow their mother wherever she goes, exploring their world and learning from their mom. But, when danger threatens, they will all race back to their mother and hide under her wings. Then, when the threat has passed, they will come back out. It is, for them, a place of safety and security.And this is the image that David is using in this verse. He was facing a time of danger. King Saul was pursuing him, wanting to kill him. And the pursuit was getting close. It was a time of extreme danger. But even during this time, David expressed his confidence in God's protection. He had taken refuge in the shadow of God's wings.

He Spoke, and It Came To Be - Psalm 33:9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.Psalm 33:9 NIVThis is a succinct summary of the first chapter of Genesis' creation account. Repeatedly in that chapter, we find the formula, "And God said, . . . and it was so." The power of God expressed in this verse is pretty astounding. God spoke into existence all that is.I understand taking existing materials and giving them new forms. I built a retaining wall and hedge a few years ago. It took great effort to prepare the site, haul and assemble all of the retaining blocks, and plant the trees. But that bears no resemblance to what God did. He spoke, and what was not previously in existence came into being. He commanded, and it was firmly established.But the significance of this verse goes beyond the creation of the universe. This God who created all that is via the power of his command is the same God we serve today.

The Doctrine of the Work of God This post will be looking at the work of God. What he has done in creation as well as what he is currently doing. I believe it is safe to assume that God has a purpose for his creation. A purpose that guides all that he has done, is doing, and will do. If that is indeed the case, then the better we can understand his purpose, the better we can understand how he is working it out.God's Master PlanSome understand that the purpose of creation, and humanity in particular, is to bring glory to God. It is true that the creation does, and humanity should bring glory to God. But that is not the same as saying that the purpose of creation was for his glory. And it would seem to imply that, for some reason, God needs us to glorify him. I do not believe, though, that God has any need that we can meet, including bringing glory to him.

God Has Not Forgotten You - Exodus 2:23-25 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. (Exodus 2:23-25 NIV)Genesis ended with Jacob's descendants in Egypt under Joseph's protection. Exodus opened some 400 years later with the Israelites in slavery. Their condition had changed dramatically during that period. And not for the better.Life had become bitter for the Israelites, and they had begun to cry out for help. Their cry for help went up to God, and he heard their groaning. And then he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.Has God Forgotten?

Coincidence or Providence - Esther 6:4 The dictionary defines coincidence as "a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection." We might think it a coincidence when we unexpectedly meet a friend while shopping. Or when something happens to me that prevents me from getting caught up in an accident.The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him. (Esther 6:4 NIV)The sixth chapter of Esther describes what seems, on the surface, to be a coincidence. Haman, an honored official of the King, had come to request the death of Mordecai, Esther's cousin. But the previous night, the king had been sleepless and, in his reading, had learned Mordecai had saved him from an assassination plot.

Creation and Providence - Doctrine 404 The doctrine of creation deals with origins. Where did we come from? How did the universe and life come into existence? The doctrine of providence picks up where creation ends. It is concerned with God's management of the universe. How involved is God in the affairs of life? Especially my life? This article will look at these two related doctrines. Doctrines that can be quite controversial.Estimated reading time: 9 minutesTable of contents- Creation- In the Beginning- Old or Young- The Genesis Creation Accounts and Science- What Really Matters?- Providence-