It is a significant step in our spiritual lives when we make recognition that our lives are not our own, but that they belong to Jesus. He paid a great price for them and as our Sovereign Lord, He rules over all of our lives. But this is great news! I am reminded of the Sermon on the Mount when He taught us not to be anxious about anything (Matthew 6:25-34).

The God we worship is so intimately involved with His creation that He even makes sure that birds have something to eat and that the tiniest flower is a miracle of beauty. We are of so much more value than they, so if God sees to them, how much more will God help us with any struggle in our own lives.

God is worthy of that kind of trust. Each one of us must ask a fundamental question, “Do I trust Him?” Our answer depends on how we would answer the most fundamental question of all, the one Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Our answer to this question determines whether He is the One to whom we will totally submit, trust, and worship. We all must ultimately believe and trust in something or someone, or we will live in fear of an ambiguous “fate.” Living life as a victim of chance brings no comfort. Comfort comes from the One who “will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6).

It is not always easy to make sense of the events of the world or what is happening in our daily lives. Life in this fallen world can be full of both blessings and troubles. While we enjoy and celebrate the blessings, the more troubling aspects of life can be confusing, cause anxiety and fear, and rob us of our joy. What is perhaps even more difficult is being at peace with it all.

This is when the term Providence is most helpful. Providence is the word we use to describe God’s activity in the world as He works out His purpose. It is not always easy to understand the ways of Providence. We cannot predict what God will do, why He allows the things that He does, or makes things happen in ways different from what we would hope. However, embracing Providence assures us that what happens in life is not by accident. God is always working out His purpose in our daily lives, sometimes in ways beyond our knowledge.  For instance, the people He puts in our life’s path, either briefly or long-term, are no accident. Situations with which we must deal, both blessings and trials, are not without meaning. God has a purpose in all of this and so much more. Perhaps you have your own stories of those things that proved to be what you would call a “God thing.” This is what we mean by Providence.

Recognizing that the flow of our life includes God’s working out His purpose is often the only way we can make sense of life, especially when life is not going as we would wish. While we wonder what God is up to, we can be sure that God is up to something good while working out His purpose. Oftentimes that purpose is much more comprehensive in scope than the limits of a given situation or point in time. So, while acknowledging God’s purpose helps us to make sense of life, learning to trust in that purpose is how we can eventually be at peace with it.

Jesus taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8, NKJV). The more we deepen our relationship with Jesus and grow in His likeness through discipleship, the more we are enabled to clear the clutter from our hearts that prevents us from seeing the hand of God in life. Jesus promised us that He would be with us until the end of the age in Matthew 28:20. With this truth firmly planted in our hearts, may we all look forward to the future, regardless of circumstances, with courage. May we look expectantly toward the future because we trust in His Providence. Let us all choose as our life’s affirmation the words from one of my favorite songs, I’ll Walk with God. The final words are, “And I’ll never walk alone while I walk with God!”

by Pastor Steven Grant

‘Forward’

“…Typically, it all starts with a dream. That’s the first step in this process of moving forward. When I talk about a dream, I’m not describing a self-made vision of your life apart from God’s will…I’m talking about envisioning the next step or stage of your life. A dream or a vision is simply a picture of what you feel God wants you to do next.
“…Without a dream, we float through life without ever catching the current. Many of us fill the majority of our hours with diversions and only a few with dreams. But our world is shaped by determined dreamers, by men and women of vision. Like them, you need a dream to achieve your goal.”

– David Jeremiah
Senior Pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church (El Cajon, CA), founder of Turning Point Radio & TV Ministries, and celebrated author

Excerpt from Forward: Discovering God’s Presence and Purpose in Your Tomorrow, Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2020, p. 3.