Before You Scroll Through X or Fox News: When It's Hard to Trust in God's Providence

Forget-Me-Not

We confess that God works all things for our good. 

• In saying this, we are simply quoting the apostle Paul, 
• who wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, 
• to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28). 

That all things work together for our good is easy to believe when things go the way we suppose they ought to go. 

We think that health and prosperity are good for us. 

• Yet do we think the same of sickness and poverty? 

When we experience great difficulties, 

• it becomes harder to believe in the providence of God. 

If a mother or father dies, who still has young children at home, we would have difficulty in seeing the good of such a death. 

• The mother or father might well wonder, “How can this turn out for our good and the good of our children?” 
• We know that there is a great need for that parent to remain with his or her family. 
• All children need a mom and a dad. 

Yet even in times like that we have to believe in the providence of God, as difficult as it is. 

• We must and we may believe that God has a purpose for this. 
• We must and may believe that this, like all things, will turn out for our good and for our salvation.

It is also hard to trust in God’s providential care when we do not receive the things we think we urgently need. 

• During World War II there were many in the Netherlands who suffered from shortage of food. 
• In such times when the stomach cried out in pain for food, it was difficult to trust that God would provide what was needed. 
• The temptation to take matters into one’s own hands and steal some food was great, and many gave in to that temptation.

To be continued...

Adapted Excerpt From

Only By True Faith

A. Van Delden