God’s All-encompassing

providence

Protection Martyrdom

All history and our personal lives and death.Health and sickness, riches and poverty

Creation and providence

• God having made the world then abandons it? • No! He upholds it and governs it by providence.• What is providence-give me a definition.• The almighty and everywhere present• power of God whereby he upholds and governs• Heaven, earth and all creatures.• What does upholds mean?• Preserves and sustains (keeps alive).

What it covers

• Psalm 103:20-21• Job 1:12• Jer.10:23• Prov.21:1• Prov.16:9• Prov.16:1• Ps.33:10, Amos 3:6• Isaiah 63:17• Ex.4:21

AngelsDevilsAll menMen’s heartsMen’s actionsMen’s thoughts and wordsMen’s sinful deedsBeliever’s sinsHardening hearts

1. Acts 14:17, Jer.5:24

2. Gen.4:1, Matt.10:29

3. Isaiah 45:7

4. Psalm 31:15

5. Psalm 103:19

More-match the verse to the subject

a. Birth, life and death-even of small animals

b. The life of his people

c. Peace and calamity (disasters)

d. Everything

e. Weather/seasons, rain or drought, fruit and barrenness, crops and food.

1. Acts 14:17Jer.5:24

2. Gen.4:1, Matt.10:29 3. Isaiah 45:7

4. Psalm 31:15

5. Psalm 103:19

Answers

e. Weather/seasons, rain or drought, fruit and barrenness, crops and food.

a. Birth, life and death-even of small animals

c. Peace and calamity (disasters)

b. The life of his people

d. Everything

God does bring all things to pass, directing and controlling them, even the actions of the wicked all to accomplish his own purpose and good pleasure. Isaiah 44:28, 46:9-10.

The mystery is that God uses wickedness without himself being responsible for wickedness.

It is a miracle that he uses all things for the salvation of his people-doing this for the sake of Christ who suffered, died and rose again for them.

GOD

RULES

God’s wills

•1. His will of decree (eternal)-always carried out

•2. His will of precept (what he commands)-often disobeyed.

Christ Joseph

Good out of evil

• “While by means of the wicked God performs what he has secretly decreed, they are not excusable as if they were obeying his precept, which of set purpose they violate according to their lust.”

Calvin

What advantage is that to us?

• Since God is our faithful Father he governs all things that nothing separates us from his love and all is for our good.

• Romans 8:28, 35-39

Saeed Abedini imprisoned for years in Iran while his family misses him in the US.

How will this show in our lives?

• We will be patient in adversity and thankful in prosperity and in all that happens place our trust in our faithful Father.