God's Providence

God's providence could be defined as the thought that God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them. He cooperates with created things in every action, and directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do and directs them to fulfill his purposes.

Our words, our steps, our movements, our hearts, and our abilities are all from the Lord. But we must guard against misunderstanding. God's providential direction as an unseen, behind the scenes, "primary cause" should not lead us to deny the reality of our choice and actions. Scripture affirms that we really do cause events to happen. We are significant and we are responsible. We do have choices, and these are real choices that bring about real results.

God has made us responsible for our actions, which have real and eternally significant results. In all his providential acts, God will preserve these characteristics of responsibility and significance. If we do right and obey God, he will reward us, and things will go well with us both in this age and in eternity.

God has ordained that our actions do have effects. If I go through life and I neglect to take care of my health and have poor eating habits, or if I abuse my body through alcohol or tobacco, I am likely to die sooner. God has ordained that events will come about by our causing them. Of course, we do not know what God has planned, even for the rest of this day, but we do know that if we trust God and obey him, we will discover that he has planned good things to come about through that obedience.

God has also ordained that prayer is a very significant means of bringing about results in the world. When we earnestly intercede for a specific person or situation, we will find that God has ordained that our prayer would be a means he would use to bring about the changes in the world. Scripture reminds us of this when it tells us, "You do not have, because you do not ask", James 4:2.