God’s Providential Care Is Not A Well-Known Doctrine
If you’ve gone to church for even a few years it’s likely you’ve learned about some of the important doctrines or teachings of the Bible. One of the ways pastors equip you for the Christian life is to explain doctrine and show you how it works in your life. There are many important doctrines such as prayer, faith, holiness, God’s character and the importance of the Bible and the Church. Providence isn’t usually in any pastor’s top-ten list of topics to teach on. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important or practical. There are only so many opportunities to teach and providence often doesn’t make the cut.
So in case you haven’t learned this, I want to share with you two key aspects of God’s providential care that everyone should know about.
1. God’s Providential Care Is A Family Matter
The mystery of the Trinity is that God is three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We relate to each person in different ways and they relate to us in different ways. God the Father is our dad. When we think about what He does for us, it’s always as the perfect dad. Everything that the Bible says about a good father applies to God the Father. 1 Timothy 5:8 says
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
In this verse Paul is teaching Timothy about how a godly man is to care for his family. If this describes what a godly man is to do, what do we expect of God the Father? We expect him to provide for His family perfectly. This is God’s word teaching it is a father’s responsibility to care for his family. You are God the Father’s family. As His child you have a special place in His heart.
[Tweet “Providential care is when the Father takes care of you even when you don’t realize it’s Him.”]
2. God’s providential care is something you can count on
Jesus is the Son of God and in the family of God He is our big brother. He understands the providential care of the Father better than anyone. Jesus’ perspective is that once you understand that, it will change how you feel about life. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Jesus isn’t telling us to take a carefree approach to life. He’s telling us why we should relax about the small stuff. In the next verse He talks about the Father taking care of feeding the birds Matthew 6:26.
[Tweet “When we understand how important we are to the Father we relax and trust Him.”]
We can count on the Father’s providential care for us. It’s what every good father does.
How have you experienced the providential care of the Father in your life? Please leave a comment or question below.
