The Lord Directs

Trusting God’s Providence

Proverbs 16:9

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

I know in my mind that God is sovereign and in control, but I wrestle with trusting His sovereignty.  If I really trusted God’s rule then I would not battle with worry and anxiety so much. 

What I am learning about God’s control is that no door will open for me, unless God opens it, and no door will close, unless God closes it (Rev. 3:7-8). A good illustration of this is found in a true story that happened in Swan Quarter, North Carolina, in 1876.

The Methodist Episcopal Church South needed a new building. When an individual donated a lot on Oyster Creek Road, the congregation gratefully accepted the gift. The property was in a low-lying area, so the church constructed the new building on brick pilings. A few days later, a terrible storm passed through the area. The town flooded! The new church building was lifted from the brick pilings by the rising waters, and it floated down the road. People witnessed as the church building, still intact, moved towards the center of town. Then, at the town’s center, the building made a sharp right turn and drifted with the water until it landed in a vacant lot.

Amazingly, the church sits on the same lot 130 years later. It is now called the Providence Methodist Church. Even more astonishing, however, the site where the building landed was the original location selected by the church for their new building. The landowner had refused to sell the lot to them.  The morning after the flood, the landowner presented the pastor with the deed to the property.

Honestly, we can make our plans, but God determines our steps. It is wise to start each day with a dynamic trust in the Lord.  May our motto be: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).  

• Take time to trace the Lord’s meticulous plan in your life. Think of people, events, and meetings that God orchestrated.  How did they influence you in bringing you to where you are now?

• How can tracing God’s providence in the past give you courage for the future?

• Thank God for the people that he has placed in your life! Ask God to use you as an agent of his grace this week.  If you are in need, ask God to send you a Boaz!

•  Share your God story with someone before next Sunday. 

Peculiar Providence

In my experience with God, I often find his providence peculiar. God's ways can be down right irrational at times, if not most of the time. Even so, in the midst of the irrationalities, you can see God's hand. The Bible is filled with examples of God's irrational providence.

Abraham comes to mind when I think about peculiar providence. The fact that God told Abraham to take his long awaited son, Isaac, and sacrifice him, fits well into irrational providence. The story of Joseph, and how God used the evil of his brothers to get him to Egypt also fits into this category. And of course, the most irrational thing that happens in the Bible is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Let's face it, peculiar providence is rather common in the life of God's people.

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to peculiar providence. When he had a vision of the risen Savior in Acts chapter nine, the Lord told Paul that he would experience irrational providence in his life. From that point on, Paul found himself in situations that would make many of us turn our backs on Christ. However, you can see God's hand directing Paul every step of the way.

I found Paul's experience in Jerusalem, recorded in Acts, chapters twenty-one and twenty-two, is one of those irrational workings of God. Paul shows up in Jerusalem and takes every precaution not to offend the Jews. Rumor was spreading that Paul was against the Law of Moses and the temple. Paul soon found out that even the best of intentions can be misunderstood, and he was thrown in jail. He then has the opportunity in chapter twenty-two to share his conversion story. The crowd listens until Paul mentions the Gentiles, and they immediately become angry and want to kill him.

At first, one might think that this is unfair. How could God allow this to happen to Paul? It's not until you get to chapter twenty-three that you understand the peculiar providence. One night, under the protection of the tribune, Paul receives these words from the Lord, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome" (Acts 23:11). God had a plan, and was working out that plan, albeit through irrational means.

When you are struggling with God's ways in your own life, remember that God is in control, and he has a plan. If fact, take some time to reflect upon God's providence in the past, and you will find that God is always faithful to his people even during those times that his ways seem irrational and peculiar.