We tend to try to make the mysteries of God more mysterious, don’t we? We expect the things of God to be complex and complicated. One of those mysteries for us is the doctrine of providence – how God interacts with the events and affairs of humans. How is God involved in our lives?
Over the next few weeks, we are going to explore how God works in our lives. We will think of how He works, what we can expect, and how we process things when they are not working out the way we perceive they should. While the material here can be worked through individually, we would encourage you to work through the Scriptures and then share them with your friends. Several times in a lesson, we will make suggestions for how you can use the material in a small group setting.
If you are working with a small group, here are two resources you can use. The first is a pdf handout containing some important truths from this lesson. The second is a pdf of some discussion questions from this lesson. You have permission to make as many copies of these handouts as needed for your small group setting.
HANDOUT ONE
HANDOUT TWO
Understanding God and His Mysterious Ways
The question of whether God is involved in our lives has been an issue of theological debate for centuries. There is a strong thread of religious thought that believes that God created the world but has a “hands-off” approach to daily life on earth. Like a watchmaker, God made his creation, wound it up, and now sits back to watch what happens.
But the majority of religious people – including most in the three major Western religions, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity – believe that God is somehow actively involved in daily life. He has the ability to hear and answer prayers, interacts with humans through the events of life, and engages in the world and with people’s lives. He is said to love His creation. The specifics of how this involvement takes place caries depending on the religious traditions.
Most stress that God is something completely different than us. If that is true, how do we understand and relate to Him? Theologians speak of the immanence of God. It is a theological term describing the nearness of God. When we say He is immanent, we mean that He is near to us. He is close to us.
But because He is different, we do not always understand how God moves and operates. He seems to be able to be everywhere at once. He also has no beginning or end – He is not limited to time. Many people conclude that God works in mysterious ways to be involved with His people and His creation.
Opening the Doors to Providence
When God intervenes into moments in history, because He is different than we are, He can either operate within the laws of nature or He can operate outside of those laws. When He operates outside of those laws, we call that a miracle. When Jesus walked on water, we call the event a miracle.
Are there things we can do to be more open and receptive to God’s involvement in our lives? Is a part of that openness simply mean that we pay more attention and notice it more? Do things happen by chance or could “fate” or “chance” actually be the activity of God?
A part of this debate asks, “If God is involved in one event in life, must He actually be involved in every aspect of life?” How much does God control and how does He allow for our own personal choice?
Disciplined Thoughts
A Pure Heart
A Clear Path
All Things for Good
Daily Scriptures
Here are seven Scriptures to help you explore today’s lesson on the providence of God. Use the Scriptures as a daily devotion, or work through the passages as you have time.
