All of us have questions about who God is and how He works. Those who don't know God have significant questions. Those who know God but not very well also have big questions.One part of God we don't often understand is God's Providence. So let's get a working definition of providence.
Providence comes from the root word provide.
Providence is God's guidance and provision.
We go to Exodus 2 for a fun look at the providence of God. And in this passage, we see how God's providence was showered on baby Moses.
Here is the context. Exodus is the second book of the Bible. We're past Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons. One of those sons - Joseph - got sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. God eventually used that evil act to position Joseph as Egypt's second most powerful man. God gave Joseph a unique insight that a famine was coming, and ultimately, his brothers had to go to Egypt to buy food, where they encountered Joseph, who forgave him.
The 12 brothers eventually lived in Egypt for the rest of their days and began to multiply. Within just a few generations, their numbers exploded and outnumbered the Egyptians.
Finally, a pharaoh (like their King) came into power who did not know of Joseph or what he did for Egypt. So the Pharaoh enslaved the Jewish people. But they kept multiplying, so Pharaoh ordered all male Jewish babies to be killed at birth.
Now, this is the point where we pick up our story:
"About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months." Exodus 2:1-2
This young mom is named Jocobed. Imagine the worry she must have faced for nine months of her pregnancy. No ultrasounds to find out if it was a boy. When Moses was born, God filled her heart with joy and heartache. She likely knew other moms whose sons had been killed.
Moses is three months old when this encounter occurs.
"But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby's sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him." Exodus 2:3-4
Let's not brush past this moment. What a gut-wrenching decision. Mom knew he would soon be discovered and murdered by Egyptian authorities if she kept her son at home. So she creates a plan - a desperate last-ditch effort plan. She knew that the Pharoah's daughter came to bathe in the same part of the river every day. So she placed her baby in a little boat down among the reeds in the river in hopes that Pharoah's daughter would find him and have mercy on him.
Mom sent her older daughter Miriam – Moses' sister – to watch what happened.
Soon Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her." When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This must be one of the Hebrew children," she said. Then the baby's sister approached the princess. "Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" she asked. "Yes, do!" the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby's mother.
"Take this baby and nurse him for me," the princess told the baby's mother. "I will pay you for your help." So the woman took her baby home and nursed him. Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, "I lifted him out of the water." Exodus 2:5-10
This series of events was clearly the providence of God. First, Jocobed had to hide Moses. She was afraid for his life and had to provide everything for him secretly. Now she does not have to hide Moses and is under the daughter of Pharoah's protection. Directly she is getting paid for raising her own child.
When God makes a plan, God also makes a way. That is who our Father is. That is what our Father does. We can look back at moments of crisis and pain and see how God showed up. So let's take this one step further.
God's plan never lacks God's resources.
Too often, we take a Deist point of view. Deists believe God created the world and then just turned it loose. They don't think God is involved in our everyday lives. Not so! When God makes a plan – God makes a way. When God makes a plan – he also provides. That's where faith comes in.
Faith is the quiet certainty that God keeps His promises. Unfortunately, we don't like to wait on God with "quiet certainty." We see a need, and instead of seeking God's wisdom and timing, we make a plan we think will meet that need and then, with earthly resources, see that the plan is executed. As a result, we often settle for so much less than God had in mind.
"Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope" (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).
Where God guides, He also provides.
I love this aspect of God! He has a plan for us and provides resources for us to fulfill that plan.
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28
The presence of pain does not indicate the absence of God.
Too many people abandon their faith at the first sign of discomfort. When life gets hard, their confidence gets soft.
Here are some myths about following Jesus:
-If you follow Jesus, you'll get rich.
-If you follow Jesus, you'll never have pain.
-If you follow Jesus, you'll find the perfect husband or wife.
-If you follow Jesus, life will be easy.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say these things. It says just the opposite. So what does Jesus say about the lives of his followers?
"In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33
And this:
"Your Father in heaven causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:44-45
We all face different challenges. Hardship, sickness, poverty, and death are everyday occurrences whether we follow God or not because we live in a fallen world. But we do not live as those who have no hope. In the presence of pain and discomfort – trust God's Providence. Keep following.
God will guide and provide through the storms of life.
That is the goodness of God. That is the character of God. That is the providence of God.
Mary Southerland is also the Co-founder of Girlfriends in God, a conference and devotion ministry for women. Mary’s books include, Hope in the Midst of Depression, Sandpaper People, Escaping the Stress Trap, Experiencing God’s Power in Your Ministry, 10-Day Trust Adventure, You Make Me So Angry, How to Study the Bible, Fit for Life, Joy for the Journey, and Life Is So Daily. Mary relishes her ministry as a wife, a mother to their two children, Jered and Danna, and Mimi to her six grandchildren – Jaydan, Lelia, Justus, Hudson, Mo, and Nori.