“Providence is wiser than you, and you may be confident it has suited all things better to your eternal good than you could do had you been left to your own option.  Providence is like a curious piece of tapestry made of a thousand shreds, which single, appear useless, but put together, they represent a beautiful history to the eye.” – John Flavel in The Mystery of Providence

“I can rest in the knowledge that when all is said and done, everything will be alright.  He will make it so.  His counsel will stand, and He will accomplish His purpose.  He is sovereign – He is God.” – Mary Kassian

“God’s providence controls the universe.  It is present everywhere.  Providence is the sovereign Logos of God, imprinting form on the unformed materiality of the world, making and fashioning all things.” – Anthony the Great

We all love to utter phrases like, “Everything happens for a reason” or “If it’s meant to be, it will be.”  We often find comfort in these words, but do we truly believe them?  Are they simply said to ease a troubled mind or are they an engrained, deeply entrenched conviction we hold about life? 

When the cancer strikes us or the unexpected death enters our life, do we fall back to thinking of life in terms of a fate that is spinning out of control or do we see these things in the light of a sovereign, providential grace that is unfolding beyond our capability to reason or understand?  Do we wallow in the anxiety or do we confidently trust in the outcome?

When the relationship we hold dear falls apart, do we believe its ultimate fate is driven by two imperfect individuals in an imperfect world or do we embrace the idea of a God who is allowing, guiding, and directing all that unfolds within it?

Is the pandemic an out-of-control viral killer or is there a deeper purpose behind why it was allowed now and when it will eventually end?

Is God really the source of all things or is it the type of job we possess and the compensation and benefits that come with it?  Is it something we earn or is it something we are divinely given?

Can you begin to see how dramatically life changes when we see EVERYTHING through the lens of sovereign providence that is driven by grace?

How can we learn to sink this belief deeply within our hearts and minds each day?

I think it is easy to separate the three.  We can believe in a God who is all powerful.  We can relate to His loving nature.  We understand He has purposes for us and purposes for this world.  What becomes harder for us to understand is when we start to merge these character attributes together.

There may be a greater purpose at work in the unexpected death or sickness, but how can it be loving?  God is powerful, but is He powerful enough to stop someone’s independent, hurtful actions?  How does free will and individual choice interact with God’s ultimate purposes and His desired outcomes?

He allowed the pandemic, but is He really in control of each individual outcome that results from it?  How can some die, and others be left unharmed?  How is that fairly and justly administering His love for us all?

As John Flavel suggests above, we cannot look at each individual shred and see the beautiful tapestry God is making of our life!  We cannot separate His attributes, placing them into distinct boxes that help us to reason out who He is and what is happening within our lives!

My friend, God never changes.  He is never out of control or destined to be confined by the choices of others.  He cannot love you one minute and hate you the next.  Grace is not grace if it is earned or deserved.  He cannot be in total control one minute and be reactionary the next.  His purposes for you and others cannot be overridden by the choices you or others make.

“There is not one piece of cosmic dust that is outside of the scope of God’s sovereign providence.” – R.C. Sproul

God is ALWAYS loving.  God is ALWAYS in control.  God is ALWAYS working providentially – using divine foresight and divine intervention to fulfill His GOOD AND GRACIOUS purposes for you.  All three of these things are constantly at work in your life and the life of others 😊

This belief is LIFE CHANGING!

The end of the relationship is filled with divine, loving purpose.  It isn’t spinning out of control or at the mercy of one partner’s choices.  It may look and feel that way, but God’s sovereign, providential grace is ALWAYS at work.

The sickness has a loving purpose behind its allowance.  The unexpected death is far from unexpected, but rather filled with divine, providential grace – perfectly and lovingly controlled down to the last minute.

You are never forgotten or overlooked.  No one is treated unjustly or unfairly, and no one is loved more or less than another.  If you feel this way my friend, may I suggest you are looking at one shred of a tapestry that is not yet complete.  It is intricately being constructed within the grace of sovereign providence as you read this.

Think deeply about that today.  Think about it in the context of all you currently face.

God loves you with an everlasting love.  He is in control of every detail of your life.  He is constantly at work – guiding you and intervening where necessary to fulfill His wonderful purposes for you 😊

Hold onto this truth my friend!  Believe with your whole heart in the grace of sovereign providence and your life will never be the same again 😊