Saturday, March 15, 2014

Lenten Devotional – Day Ten

Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

“The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.” (Psalm 145:17, NRSV)

And yet you are never alone. Let yourself be plumbed to the depths, and you will realize that everyone is created for a presence. There, in your heart of hearts, in that place where no two people are alike, Christ is waiting for you. And there the unexpected happens. — Brother Roger of Taizé, Parable of Community

  I saw full surely in this and in all, that ere God made us he loved us; which love never slackened, nor ever shall be. And in this love he hath done all his works; and in this love he hath made all things profitable to us; and in this love our life is everlasting. In our making we had beginning; but the love wherein he made us was in him from without beginning; in which love we have our beginning. And all this shall we see in God, without end. - Juliana of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

Listen my people, mark each word.
I begin with a story, I speak of mysteries
welling up from ancient depths,
heard and known from our elders.
We must not hide this story from our children
but tell the mighty works and all the wonders of God.
      - Psalm 78:1-4, version unknown

cross2  “Providence” comes from the Latin meaning “to provide for” or “to foresee.” Most broadly, it refers to God’s divine plan through which the whole creation will eventually come to God’s ultimate goal. It describes God’s working within human history, sustaining creation, and accomplishing God’s purposes in and through history. This understanding of God’s work is perceived by faith, as events within the lives of believers are seen as expressions of God’s guidance and direction.

  God preserves the creation. God’s care for the world is to preserve that which has been created as it has been created and to sustain all things so that they can continue to exist. God’s providence also governs or guides the creation, God is at work within it. God works in the world, in human history, and in individual lives to guide all things to God’s final ends or purposes. God’s purposes are being carried out through all God’s activities. These purposes are for the whole world as well as for those who believe in God and have faith in Jesus Christ.

  In 1945, shortly after the end of World War II, a young associate pastor named Cliff and his fiancé, Billie, arranged to get married, despite the fact that they had very little money. They managed to scrape together enough funds for a simple wedding and two train tickets to a city where Cliff had been asked to hold a revival with a friend.

  Arriving at the city, the newlyweds got off the train and took a cab to their hotel, only to learn that the hotel had been taken over by the military as a rehabilitation center. They were stranded in an unfamiliar city with only a few dollars in their pockets. There was little they could do, so they hitched a ride on the nearby highway. The man who gave them their ride asked the young couple, "Where would you like to be dropped off?" Cliff's answer was somewhat confusing, "We don't know," and he proceeded to explain their situation. The man was sympathetic and offered a suggestion.

  A few miles down the road was a grocery store owned by a woman whom he knew. He told them that she had a couple of empty rooms upstairs and might be willing to allow them to stay there inexpensively. Cliff realized that this was not the time to be choosy, so he asked the woman for a room. She gave it to them for $5, and they were thrilled.

  The following day, Cliff practiced his trombone while his beloved played the piano to the delight of the woman who owned the home. By the music they played, the woman soon realized that this young couple were Christians and invited them to spend the remainder of their honeymoon in her house.
By the end of the first week, they had become great friends. The woman mentioned that a young evangelist was speaking at a youth rally nearby and invited them to attend. Upon arriving, they discovered that the regular song leader was sick, so Cliff was asked to take charge of the music for the service. The evangelist turned out to be the young Billy Graham, and the groom was Cliff Barrows. They met that evening for the first time and a lifetime partnership was formed. And from the beginnings of that evening, Cliff and Billie Barrows became members of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and have been used by the Lord in thousands of crusades around the world. All of this began with the foundation of friendship. - Glen Martin, Beyond the Rat Race (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995), 125-126.

Today’s Lectionary Readings
Morning Psalm: 52, 95
Evening Psalm: 9, 130
Deuteronomy 11:18-28
Hebrews 5:1-10
John 4:1-26

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