Markdale Baptist Church
  • Home
  • Beliefs
  • Sermons
  • Ministries
  • Calendar
  • About

Drippings from the Honeycomb

 More to be desired are [the rules of the Lord] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10)

Peace and Providence

7/13/2023

 
Picture
It used to be a statistical reality that if you were from a Judeo-Christian background, your experience of stress would be significantly less than all other groups. The reason was that in your worldview, even if you were only a nominal Christian, had an awareness of the sovereignty and goodness of God.

Sadly today, for many Christians, I suspect this may no longer be the case. Our trust in and Biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty has been diminished and this has had serious implications for faith and life. As a result many Christians today are given to worry. We have even made worry a respectable sin. Worry, to not trust in God’s sovereignty, is a sin. We miss the mark, we take our eyes off of Him, we see Him as less than we should, our gaze becomes divided, we struggle to take Jesus at His words (Matt 6:25–34).

Closely linked to God’s sovereignty is His providence. His providence is His superintending activity over His creation. You might say it is how He works out His sovereignty. Question 27 of the Heidelberg Catechism reminds of this, but in a devotional quality:

"Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?
A. God's providence is his almighty and ever present power, whereby, as with his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand. "
 
 If we cease to believe in a good and sovereign ruler who gives us all things “by his fatherly hand,” including trials, which He uses to deepen our faith, strengthen our character, to make us “perfect and complete” (Ja 1:2), we are left with the uncertainty of a God who is not all-sovereign and the possibility what we face might be all for naught. Yet Ro 8:28, which is more than cliché resounds: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.”

John Newton (the author of Amazing Grace) wisely said these words:

“[One of the marks of Christian maturity which a believers should seek is] an acquiescence in the Lord’s will founded in a persuasion of his wisdom, holiness, sovereignty, and goodness….So far as we attain to this, we are secure from disappointment. Our own limited views, and short sighted purposes and desires, may be, and will be, often over-ruled; but then our main and leading desire, that the will of the Lord may be done, must be accomplished. How highly does it becomes us, both as creatures and as sinners, to submit to the appointments of our Maker! And how necessary is it to our peace! This great attainment is too often un-thought of, and over-looked; we are prone to fix our attention upon the second causes and immediate instruments of events; forgetting that whatever befalls us is according to his purpose, and therefore must be right and seasonable in itself, and shall in the issue be productive of good. From hence arise impatience, resentment, and secret repining’s, which are not only sinful, but tormenting; whereas, if all things are in his hand, if the very hairs of our head are numbered; if every event, great and small, is under the direction of his providence and purpose; and if he has a wise, holy, and gracious end in view, to which everything that happens is subordinate and subservient; - then we have nothing to do, but with patience and humility follow as he leads, and cheerfully to expect a happy issue…How happy are they who can resign all to him, see his hands in every dispensation, and believe that he chooses better for them than they possibly could for themselves!”[1]

Consider Jesus’ words as He approached the cross in Mk 13:36. Jesus did not shrink from asking His Father what He humanly may have desired as advantageous (the removal of the pain of bearing God’s wrath because of our sin, the passion and the cross) but conceded that that which came from the Father’s hand was best and said “but not my will but yours be done.” Jesus knew, to liken it to Paul, that “my grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9).

And when we find ourselves in the midst of a difficult providence we lean on Him asking for more faith in Him, we cling to promises of hope and comfort, we sing, we rely on the help of God’s people, we remind ourselves of God’s providence and find peace.

May the Lord grant us His grace to remember His providence and mature in our understanding of it. May this solace in a chaotic world be a witness.


[1] Newton, John. Letters of John Newton. (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1960), 137.

Comments are closed.

    Featured Blogs

    Learn about Jesus
    Boundaries​
    ​Flag of Our Times
    Forgiveness
    Full Gospel
    Which Meditation
    My View of the Future​
    ​Perseverance 
    ​Saints and Sinners
    ​Satan in Heaven?

    Other Sermons
    ​

    Author:
    Chris Crocker

    Aside from quality family life, ministry, and Christian academia, I delight in many common gifts the Lord has blessed us with. I am a fourth generation beekeeper, an avid outdoorsman, and a lover of adventure. I enjoying running and jogging. I also enjoy travel, carpentry, gardening, music, strategy games, history, geography, and good conversation.

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019

    Categories

    All
    Acedia
    Adam
    Age
    Answers
    Apologetics
    Apostacy
    Apostasy
    Armour Of God
    Assurance
    Atonement
    Baptism
    Baptist
    Bible
    Bible Study
    Biblical Theology
    Biography
    Book Recommendation
    Books
    Canada
    Celebration
    Challenges
    Charismatic
    Children
    Christ
    Christian Basics
    Christian Living
    Christ In The Old Testament
    Christmas
    Christ's Return
    Church
    Church Health
    Church Life
    Communication
    Communion
    Community
    Conformity
    Contemporary
    Contentment
    Context
    Contrasts
    Conversation Starter
    Conversion
    Counselling
    Covenant
    Covid
    Creation
    Cross
    Culture
    Darkness
    Death
    Definitions
    Delight
    Devotional
    Dilemmas
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Doctrine
    Doctrines Of Grace
    Doubt
    Easter
    Elders
    Enjoyment
    Error
    Eschatology
    Ethics
    Evangelism
    Faith
    False Christianity
    False Religion
    False Teachers
    FAQ
    Fasting
    Fear
    Fellowship
    Following
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Funerals
    Galatians
    Gathering
    Gender
    Giving
    Glory
    God's Word
    Good Friday
    Good Works
    Gospel
    Government
    Grace
    Grey Gables
    Grief
    Hard Passages
    Heresy
    Hermeneutics
    History
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Hope
    Hospitality
    Humility
    Identity
    Idolatry
    Israel
    Jesus
    Job
    Joy
    Judgement
    Justification
    Knowing God
    Law
    Leadership
    Lecture
    Liberalism
    Licentiousness
    Local Church
    Love
    Love Of God
    Manhood
    Mark
    Marriage
    Means Of Grace
    Membership
    Men
    Men's Breakfast
    Ministry
    Mission
    Missions
    Moral
    Moral Failure
    Moses
    New Age
    New Covenant
    News
    Nominalism
    Obedience
    Objectivity
    Observation
    Old Testament
    Open Letter
    Orthodoxy
    Other Sermons
    Outreach
    Passover
    Paul
    Peace
    Pentecostalism
    Persecution
    Perseverance
    Personal
    Politics
    Polity
    Post-Covid
    Praise
    Prayer
    Preaching
    Presence
    Pride
    Providence
    Public Holidays
    Questions
    Reading The Bible
    Real Christianity
    Recommended
    Reflection
    Reflections
    Reform
    Regeneration
    Relationships
    Relevance
    Religion
    Respect
    Resurrection
    Revival
    Righteousness
    Sabbath
    Saint
    Salvation
    Sanctification
    Service
    Sexuality
    Sin
    Sinner
    Smallness
    Sovereignty
    Speech
    Spiritual
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spirituality
    Spiritual Warfare
    Standing Firm
    Statistics
    Stewardship
    Subjectivity
    Submission
    Substances
    Suffering
    Suicide
    Talks
    Testimony
    The Christian Life
    The Cross
    The Lord's Day
    Theology
    Theology 101
    Tithing
    True Faith
    Truth
    Vanity
    Witness
    Word Study
    World Affairs
    Worldliness
    Worship
    You Asked
    Youth

Location

PO Box 73,
144 Lorne Street,
​Markdale N0C 1H0

Join by zoom

Zoom in to our evening gatherings from your computer
Zoom in to our morning or evening gatherings by phone:
​     
Dial: 1 647 374 4685
     Meeting ID: 328 252 3658
     Password: 144 144

Contact us

519.986.4372
​[email protected]

Donate

​Cheque made payable to: 
Markdale Baptist Church
E-transfer sent to: 
​[email protected] 

Sunday gathering Times

​10:00 am in the Upper Hall
6:00 pm in the Lower Hall

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.”
​(Ps 92:1–2, A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath)

Pastor's blog & songs

EXPLORE NOW

Picture

Markdale Baptist Church

  • Home
  • Beliefs
  • Sermons
  • Ministries
  • Calendar
  • About