I know many of you who receive Friday with Fred. Then again, there are many others who I do not know that have been introduced to Friday with Fred by someone. However, I do know that many of us struggle with God concerning what, why, and how He does things in our lives. This is not blasphemy, it is simply an honest state of confusion, usually in the midst of personal pain. It often includes what we call “doubt,” which means “being in two minds".
When I find myself in that place, I remind myself of two attributes of the Lord, His sovereignty and His providence.
God’s sovereignty refers to what He intends to accomplish, while His providence describes the means by which He orchestrates circumstances and connections to ensure those intentions come to pass.
These concepts, His Sovereign Plan and His Providential Procedure, work together but operate at different levels.
Dr. Tony Evans says “Sovereignty denotes God’s rule over all creation. Everything that occurs either results from His direct action or His conscious permission, and nothing exists outside His complete control."
Sovereignty is fundamentally about God’s ultimate authority and the certainty of His purposes. Providence, by contrast, encompasses the miraculous and mysterious ways God intersects and interconnects events to bring about His sovereignty.
“In essence, sovereignty is the destination—what God has determined will happen. Providence is the journey—how God guides all circumstances, including human choices and even evil, toward that predetermined end.”
When we understand the connection between providence and sovereignty, we see the wisdom of God’s working in history and in our lives.
I do not know about you, but I am starting to feel better.
Serving Him with you
Until He comes for us, Fred | 