The Harmony of God’s Providence and its Uniform Designs

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

When God allows severe trials and afflictions come into our lives, as feeble human beings, they test our faith in God. Are trials and afflictions in fact  privileges of God’s children ? From the scriptures, it is clear that God is  always on the His throne and in control. He does what He purposes for His Glory.  He acts out of His sovereign will.   The redeemed belong to Christ, He bought them by His own blood. Everything that comes into our lives does not come by chance but is all a  manifestation of God’s fore knowledge and special care for his children, all them who loved God and are Christ’s redeemed.  Christ  promised that He will never leave His sheep. In our journey of life as sojourners through this earth , all providences come about for the good of those that are Christ’s. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

In this embedded clip  is a moving testimony of Brady, a young boy who was diagnosed with brain cancer at age of 10.  It was then God shined the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ into his heart.  He was transformed  and showed great joy through the 4 years of living  and suffering with this terminal illness. His testimony before all people who came into contact with him showed that he had a great hunger for God showing  much faith and joy in knowing that God was at work in him. Through it all, the testimony of his parents showed that their lives and that of their other two children were drawn much closer to God through the experience that Brady underwent. We may not have the answers now as to why God allowed experience such as this to come to Brady  but we can trust that such  seemingly sad experience worked for His purpose and for His Glory. God ensured that all things worked together for good for Brady and his family.

In Matthew Henry‘‘s commentary on Rom 8:28:
The privilege of the saints, that all things work together for good to them, that is, all the providences of God that concern them. All that God performs he performs for them, Psalms 57:2. Their sins are not of his performing, therefore not intended here, though his permitting sin is made to work for their good, 2 Chron 32:31. But all the providences of God are theirs – merciful providences, afflicting providences, personal, public. They are all for good; perhaps for temporal good, as Joseph’s troubles; at least, for spiritual and eternal good. That is good for them which does their souls good. Either directly or indirectly, every providence has a tendency to the spiritual good of those that love God, breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, fitting them for heaven. Work together. They work, as physic works upon the body, various ways, according to the intention of the physician; but all for the patient’s good. They work together, as several ingredients in a medicine concur to answer the intention. God hath set the one over against the other (Ecc 7:14): sunergei, a very singular, with a noun plural, denoting the harmony of Providence and its uniform designs, all the wheels as one wheel, Eze 10:13. He worketh all things together for good; so some read it. It is not from any specific quality in the providences themselves, but from the power and grace of God working in, with, and by, these providences. All this we know – know it for a certainty, from the word of God, from our own experience, and from the experience of all the saints.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. Psalms  57:2

God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.” 2 Chron 32:31

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. Ecc 7:14

“It’s only me” Christians

“Is that you, darling” We all know the pathetic story, and how the other child, who was not the “darling,” sadly answered, “No, mother, it’s only me.” And with too many Christians “it’s only me” expresses the response the heart makes to His appeal to them to follow Him as His “beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1) That Enoch pleased God is the Greek Bible rendering of the Hebrew words that he “walked with God.” And both are joined in the, Apostle’s exhortation: “how ye ought to walk and to please God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1) But such a standard of Christian life, even for a single day, is deemed visionary and unpractical. We are “only me” Christians.

Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews – - HIS FULL PROVISION

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah: Family Worship Time

May it please You to bless the house of Your servant

Everyday we all live in this cold and hostile world controlled by the prince of this world. It is a sensual and carnal world. This world does not know God and has no desire to acknowledge or worship Him.

God warned us not to love the world and the things that are in the world. He reminded us that if we love the world, we really don’t love Him. I John 2: 15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father, but is of the world.

How can our family find the grace and help to live out our testimonies and remained faithful and true to God. God know we need to guide and remind our family, he commands that we have a responsibility to Him that we should be faithful to teach our children. Ps 78: 4 We must point our children to Him daily, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.

There is a need for time and place where a believer can retreat daily with his family to gather together, feed on his words, pray and focus on God. Where the thirsty souls can come to the One who can give a drink of the the living waters. (John 4: 14) Where the wounded soldiers of Jesus Christ gather to hear His words and receive the balm for their pains and rest. Where we can feast to our heart’s content on God’s Words:

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou are mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more.

Psalm 78: 1-7
Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded to our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;that the generation to come might know them, even the children who should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children,that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and so might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. KJ21®