My family is in a season of trusting God and His providence right now. I started listening to Jerry Bridge’s book Trusting God for some encouragement and direction. He begins with three truths which the Bible teaches about God’s involvement in suffering or painful times:
- God is complete in sovereignty.
- God is infinite in wisdom.
- God is perfect in love.
He quotes J.I. Packer’s definition of providence as:
The unceasing activity of the Creator whereby, in overflowing bounty and goodwill, He upholds His creatures in ordered existence, guides and governs all events, circumstances, and free acts of angels and men, and directs everything to its appointed goal, for His own glory.
He then humbly restates it in a way he says he can remember easily:
God’s providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over all his creation for His own glory and the good of His people.
In summary, Bridges says that we can trust God confidently because according to the Biblical doctrine of God’s providence, God can care for us and does so constantly for by governing the affairs of our lives. He upholds and sustains all things.
For more reading:
Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17, Acts 17:24-28