God Provides
1. I will be their God
1.1. Genesis 17:8
1.1.1. With these words, God’s tells Abraham that he will provide for him and his descendants.
2. Be still, and know that I am God
2.1. Psalm 46:10
2.2. God’s people are commanded to “be still” in this verse. The imperative gives a solemn duty to those in a covenant relationship with God—Israel in the Old Testament, but today, it is given to Christians
2.2.1. Galatians 3:26-29
2.3. What does it mean when God’s own are commanded to “be still”?
2.3.1. The command is not given to restrict the mobility of God’s people.
2.3.2. The duty represents a spiritual disposition that ought to characterize those to whom God’s unfailing promises have been given.
2.3.3. There are those who are far from “still”; they “do all the work” and give God none of the credit. They can do it all on their own, without any divine dependence.
2.3.4. While we must take the initiative to fulfill our responsibilities and live our lives, the uncertainties of living in a world of sin and woe will continually challenge us. Personal initiative is no substitute for reliance upon God
2.3.4.1. James 4:13-17
2.3.5. This command—“be still”—forces us to think on two things: that we are finite, and that God is infinite. Christian people ought to “come, behold the works of Jehovah,” (v. 8) that we may enjoy a calm confidence in him who gave us his Son.
2.3.6. “Shall he not also with him freely give us all things?” Paul reasoned (Romans 8:32).
2.3.6.1. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to reflect on what God can do in the face of what we are unable to do.
2.4. Spiritual serenity, the psalmist admits, ought to be cultivated in spite of the shaking mountains and agitated waters (vv. 2-3; i.e., figures for the difficulties we face in life).
2.4.1. This spiritual calm, that God commands, does not come from a lack of troubles; it derives from a steady, deep reflection on the ways God has intervened in history on behalf of his people
2.4.1.1. Romans 15:4
2.5. It is “God’s past” that provides calm for “our future.” Know that he is God! Know it, not merely intellectually, but practically, spiritually, and emotionally. He is your God. He is the ruler of kingdoms of this earth and the all-powerful Creator of the Universe. If you are the last man or woman standing, be still. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth do change” (Psalm 46:1-2).
3. God Provides
3.1. Genesis – Creation
3.1.1. Genesis 1 – creation of all that would sustain life
3.1.2. Genesis 2 – creation of man
3.1.3. God’s providence
3.1.3.1. Providence Defined - foresight
3.1.3.1.1. The Creator’s maintenance of the functional balance of the natural world
3.1.3.1.2. The fulfillment of the divine purpose in the regulation of international affairs
3.1.3.1.3. God’s special operation in the lives of those who seek to do his will
3.1.3.2. Providence is the activity of God as accomplished through law. It stands in contrast to the miraculous, by which the Lord operates independent of law.
3.1.3.2.1. In providence, Jehovah manipulates his own laws for the accomplishment of his ultimate purpose. God respects man’s free will, and he will never overpower our “freedom of choice” in the use of providential activity; nevertheless, the Bible clearly affirms divine activity in the providential mode.
3.2. Genesis 6 – Noah
3.2.1. Verse 8
3.2.2. Verse 13
3.3. Genesis 22 – Abraham and Isaac
3.4. Exodus 14 – Opening of Red Sea
3.5. 1 Samuel 17 – David and Goliath
3.6. Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego
3.7. Daniel 6 – Daniel in lion’s den
3.8. Jonah 4:2
3.9. Matthew 4 – Christ after temptation