1. Lesson 8: God’s Special Providence for His Children Lesson 8: God’s Special Providence for His Children

2. God’s Providence Is Working Today He created all things He sustains all things Divine providence concerns: –God’s support, preservation, care, supervision and government which He exercises over everything He has created (from the moment of His first creation to His foreseeable future into eternity) that He might accomplish the purpose for which all things were created God’s providence is exercised today toward His children in His own special way. He created all things He sustains all things Divine providence concerns: –God’s support, preservation, care, supervision and government which He exercises over everything He has created (from the moment of His first creation to His foreseeable future into eternity) that He might accomplish the purpose for which all things were created God’s providence is exercised today toward His children in His own special way.

3. God is always with His children. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6). “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6). “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

4. God takes care of His children. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (Psa. 37:23-25). “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield” (Psa. 33:20). – confidently depend on God and He’ll banish anxiety/worry from your life “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (Psa. 37:23-25). “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield” (Psa. 33:20). – confidently depend on God and He’ll banish anxiety/worry from your life Matthew 6:19-34

5. God supplies the needs of His children. “And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’ So the two of them went together” (Gen. 22:8). “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). “And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’ So the two of them went together” (Gen. 22:8). “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).

6. God supplies the needs of His children. “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it’” (Mal. 3:10). “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it’” (Mal. 3:10). “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11).

7. God supplies the needs of His children. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Mt. 7:7-11)

8. God protects His children. “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them” (Psa. 34:7). “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psa. 34:15- 17). “For they intended evil against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform” (Psa. 21:11). “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them” (Psa. 34:7). “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psa. 34:15- 17). “For they intended evil against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform” (Psa. 21:11).

9. God protects His children. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose…What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:18, 28, 31-35).

10. God bears the burdens & needs of His children. “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psa. 55:22). “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7). “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8). “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psa. 55:22). “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7). “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8).

11. God blesses His children with an abundant life on Earth. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). “…that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matt. 6:4). “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:6). “…so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:18). “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). “…that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matt. 6:4). “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:6). “…so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:18).

12. God guides and delivers His children safely through temptations. “[For if God]…delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) – then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…” (2 Pet. 2:7-9). “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one…” (Matt. 6:13). “[For if God]…delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) – then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…” (2 Pet. 2:7-9). “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one…” (Matt. 6:13).

13. God guides and delivers His children safely through temptations. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6). “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

14. GOD IS ABLE! “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).