I have to be honest; this week’s blog was a challenge for me. I have a great deal on my mind right now, and every time I started on a topic, I would stall. God seemed to be blocking all of my great ideas (tongue in cheek)! After about the fifth stop and start, I quietly said, “What do you want me to write about, Lord?” The answer I heard in my heart was, “Tell them how I am providing for you. Tell them about my provision.” The words were not audible, but they were clear. I believe God wants me to share about His provision in my life so you too can recognize His provision in your life.
Before I jump in and bear my soul, I want to clarify a couple of terms—God’s sovereignty and God’s provision. Having grown up in the church, I remember hearing about sovereignty but not so much about provision. When referring to God as sovereign, we are acknowledging there is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God’s influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. The Bible is full of Scriptures that affirm this truth.
God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible. Colossians 1:16
God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens. Romans 11:33.
Provision, on the other hand, is God’s act of providing for, sustaining and governing the world. Dr. Tony Evans described it this way in the book, Pathways: From Providence to Purpose.
The providence of God is the miraculous and mysterious way in which He intersects and interconnects things in order to bring about His sovereignty. God’s providence is where He sets things up and connects them so that His sovereignty does happen.” (pg. 25)
Dr. J. Vernon McGee shared a vivid example of God’s providence at work in the life of Moses.
God brought together a little baby's cry and a woman's heart down by the River Nile when Pharaoh's daughter went to bathe. The Lord pinched little Moses and he let out a yell. The cry reached the heart of the princess, and God used it to change the destiny of a people. That was providence. That was the hand of God.
Simply put, God is ALWAYS at work whether we think He is or not. Even when we don’t “feel” Him, He is there. Nothing happens by accident. These familiar verses remind us that God is active in all aspects of our lives.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. Romans 8:28
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11
I bolded the words “causes” and “makes” to emphasize God’s active nature. I am just beginning to grasp the concept of God’s provision in my life. As a result, I am taking more risks than I ever have before. As I respond in obedience to His prompting, His handiwork becomes more evident. I am letting go of having to have everything figured out and simply trusting He knows what He is doing. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary. It is. However, with each step of obedience, I gain courage as I see Him put all of the pieces into place, one chunk at a time.
If you have been following this ministry, you know it is quite new. We have only been in existence a little over two years. God placed this calling on my heart many years ago, and while I have a passion for Christian educators, starting a ministry is unchartered territory for me. My learning curve has been and continues to be steep. God is teaching me about His providence. I have learned that as I trust Him and am obedient, He orchestrates the details in His own timing. I’m holding onto Proverbs 16:9: We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
As I think about His provision over the last two years, I can recall multiple times I didn’t know how I would accomplish a task to which I had committed. Every single time, God worked out the details. Here are a few examples.
· Putting together a website.
· Conducting an event for educators.
· Writing weekly blogs (this is something He literally provides for very single week)!
· Starting a Facebook group.
The most recent instance is the Purposeful Partnerships initiative. This is probably the most unexpected of them all. This is no doubt a God-sized task, and I am a bit overwhelmed by it. I never would have guessed six months ago that anything like this would become part of this ministry. However, God knew, and all along He has been strategically placing people in my life who desire to come alongside me and be a part of this Kingdom building assignment. I fight back the tears as I think about His goodness, His provision.
Because of providence…
· I can let go of anxiety.
· I can be patient in adversity.
· I can be strong and courageous.
· I can trust His timing.
· I can have confidence in His purposes for my life.
I leave you with these encouraging words from Dr. Tony Evans.
Friend, nothing comes to you that doesn’t pass through God’s providential fingers first. You have to know that. You have to believe that. You have to trust that. You have to rest in that. That mind-set will situate you so that you can respond to life’s challenges, set-backs, and apparent randomness with a spirit of intentionality and persevering faith. Pathways: From Providence to Purpose, pg. 34
Want to know more about Purposeful Partnerships? Please check out the link here! We would love for you to be part of this exciting opportunity! https://www.victoriouseducator.com/post/purposeful-partnerships
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