God’s Providence

We are in the middle of a sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. On a recent Sunday our sermon was on the part of the prayer where Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This part of the prayer is about God’s providence.

I used the word “providence” in our sermon on Sunday at 8:30. I was under the delusion that it was a common word and that everybody knew it. After the service I began asking various people…what does “providence” mean? I asked ten people or so before I finally got a reasonable answer (at least a good answer for the way I used the word).

Several people said it was an area. They had the word confused with “province”—like a political area or state—as in a "Canadian province". Others thought I was talking about a city in Rhode Island. Some laughter emerged over this.

But providence means more. Even the city called "Providence" was so-named because its first settlers gave thanks for the providing of God. Providence, RI was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, an English clergyman who was banned from Massachusetts because of disagreements with the Puritans. He believed that God had provided a place for them to settle and so named the city Providence. By the way, I found out that there also are cities or towns named Providence in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Utah. And well, Annapolis Maryland was originally named Providence.

Still, a number of people just couldn’t say what the word meant. Then an answer came. It came from one who sits on the west side of the sanctuary and praises God with the piano keys. When he speaks, I have learned to listen. Nick said, “Providence means that God is working in your life whether you know it or not” and then he added with a grin, “sometimes even whether you like it or not.” Bingo!

Providence means that God holds us close and makes a way and that part of our job is to trust God and be content. In means we can trust God who sees the future and who makes a way for us in the wilderness. The word providence is a noun form of the word provide. It comes from the Latin word providere- pro- forward, + videre- to see. It’s easier to trust God for the future when we can know that God is already there.

I meant to use the word “providence” in relation to God’s providing. The Jesus prayer focuses upon food by saying “Give us this day our daily bread”. But it means more. It means God “sees forward” where we cannot see and makes a way before we even get there. I believe this part of Jesus’ prayer is intended to help us trust in God for our future, no matter what we are going through in the present. This trust in God gives us contentment, even in unsettled times.

God sees all time together—even the future. To God, the future is like a familiar room because God is already there. Jesus wanted us to trust his Father to “provide” for our needs.

Although this is a lovely thought, it does leave some gaping questions. Like…well, Where is God in the suffering of people who are genuinely hungry or needy, whether in faraway lands or in the streets of downtown Pottsboro? That is a hard question. Does God provide to some more than others? Can one deserve (…or not deserve) God’s providence? Some would give the answer that God provides in God’s time. That’s a nice answer, but it doesn’t alleviate the pain of people who are hungry or hurting.

It just leads to other questions…like this one…

“How is God counting on me to participate in God’s providence by helping or giving or feeding someone else?”

Your Pastor,

Sam