Bless the LORD,
Ezekiel gives from beginning of His writings a picture that is sometimes hard to understand, at least for those of us who find God sometimes giving us words in visions leaving us to study for the meaning: He gives us the meaning if we will just listen to the Holy Spirit, our guide. Ezekiel gives us the picture of a wheel, that the Providence of God is like a wheel, and the wheel goes round, and round, first one part of the wheel is on the bottom, then it is on the top and the previous top part is on the bottom; and so on. Is this not like life, first we are on top, then we are on the bottom, round and round it goes life. So goes our life, for sometimes we are humbled by poverty and wonder where the next meal may come to us, and feed us and give us comfort, or that our wealth has disappeared and no longer do we drink the best of wines, or eat the best of foods, the comfort of wealth is gone and not necessarily due to any fault of our own. Our experiences are never a stable thing; it is always changing, and like the wheel in Ezekiel's vision, it is always turning round. Today they are praising you, tomorrow they want to crucify you: such is the state of man.
Let us take a look at this wheel that is going around and around and notice that there is one part of the wheel that never changes: it is the axle, it is steadfast. This is the Providence of God that never changes, it not moved by the turning of the wheel, the occurrences in our lives. This axle can be compared to the love of God that never changes His everlasting love towards His covenant people.
As the wheel turns faster and faster all that we can see is the circumference, the exterior of the circle, you can discern nothing by the circumference. Is this not true of our going through some affliction, that all we can see is the affliction? I wrote on history, that we can look back in history and see how the Providence of God, that God is working in history, and is working in the now, He is working our His everlasting purposes. History will show that there are times that the cause of liberty would be crushed, or that this seems so out of place, this event, that this or that is so out of time, that the very rising of man would be destroyed; but when we do look closely at history then we can see the symmetry that teaches you that God is wise, and that God is just. This we must allow to rise in our lives, this knowledge of God that comforts us in our times of struggle, become as a sturdy oak tree and take a deeper root. If all you do is look at today, the afflictions of today and have no root, root that is grounded deep in history showing the love and justice of God then the winds of even a small storm will uproot you. When we know the past and see the Providence of God at work then our present troubles will be counteracted by the knowledge that give a sure faith that God will be Providential and that we can by His help get through anything that may come our way. Instead of lamenting and mourning, we will rise up and bless God for His mercies toward you.
No matter the problem, no matter where we are, God's Providence is universal, it is in every quarter of the earth. An example of God's eye that is one each and every one anywhere and any place may be found in this simple illustration. At times on the wall there is a painting, let say, of a man, and wherever we go in the room where the picture is hanging, the eyes of the man in the picture seem to be looking directly at you. Have you had this happen? Such is the Providence of God, that wherever you are, God's eyes are upon you. This is true of everyone who is in the room where the picture is hanging, each one sees the same thing the man in the picture is looking at them. So is God's Providence, He is not just looking at you but He is looking at everyone.
Here is an important thing: the Providence of God is uniform, even if we can't understand His Providence, there is some contradiction: but God does not contradict Himself. God is One, His Providence is One: this may be a hard truth to grasp, but grasp it we must. I gave in the last blog the example of Joseph and all the troubles he endured, and that all the troubles seem to contradict the Providence of God, but in the end we could see that God was working all the time. Yet, you may admit that the Providence of God is so adverse to you, there is no beauty in your life. I just laid some carpet for my daughter and granddaughter and I will use this illustration: If you are looking in the wrong place for beauty you may be looking at the wrong thing. For instance, if you are looking at the back of the carpet you will only see disorder, and lines of jute thread going this way and that way, but turn over the carpet and you will see the beauty of color, and design, that was fully intended by the manufacturer. So it is with us when tribulations come, that Providence is very bad, because we are looking at the wrong side. Yes, it is human to look at the wrong side, and maybe all that you will ever see is the wrong side and while here on earth this is all that we can see, but when we get to heaven then we will see with all clarity the beauty that was being developed by God's Providence. Your faith in times of trouble may be firm and steady, but the things of live do not change, the trouble is still with you, but your assured faith never wavers. What you cannot see, for all you see is the back of the carpet is the development of a beauty on the other side, that there is someone who by your witness to the truth is turned from sin to salvation, that the gift of faith has taken root and is fed nourishment due to your life, your handling of affliction, your steadfast faith in God. You may not find the answers here on earth, but you will in the presence of God, when all knowledge will be yours, and you will see that workings of God, His Providence, His never wavering from His purpose, to bring to Him a people for His name. You will have had a hand in His Providential care.
God's Providence is always correct, no matter how the wheel turns, which way it goes, the axle remains constant: such is the Providence of God. Man may may plans, but in the end finds that he cannot complete his plans; this is not so with God for He never lays a foundation and then have to abandon his plan, for what He begins He finishes, His purposes never change, they are never thwarted by the struggles of our life, He works out His plan in the circumstances of our lives. First, and most important, How could God change, for if God wills a thing to occur, it will, and if He wills a thing not to occur, it won't occur. If God is changeable, then He is not perfect, therefore He is not in control of all things, somethings could change from good to bad, and from bad to worse; we would have no comfort, no hope, that God is in control, and that we would just have to accept things as they are and that we be left in our despair. God does not love you today and hate you tomorrow, and He will not allow you to suffer more than you can handle, but we must not rely on ourselves so that we may not suffer more than we can handle, we rely upon God, through His word, and by looking at history and seeing the Providence of God, that His working in history by an unchangeable God, will be with us and work through our struggles as well. This is amazing! God is working all the time; working in our lives, working through all that Satan would destroy, that Satan desires to destroy, not non-Christians for he has them in his hands, rather it those who profess faith in God, God's children and if he could stymy the faith of a Christian, there witness to the Gospel then Satan has accomplished his purpose, but when we rely on God, keep our faith intact in Him, then Satan is defeated and our lives are the witness to the great and wonderful gospel, that Jesus Christ died for the children of God and that the Holy Spirit was sent as a comforter to God's children and until we arrive in heaven we have God on our side, that His Providence will overcome all our afflictions. '
This is the wisdom of God, that His Providence is full of wisdom. As Christians we do not believe in fate. We do not say: "Whatever is, must be." There is a difference between that thought or saying and the Providence of God for Providence says: "Whatever God ordains must be;" but the wisdom of God never ordains a thing without a purpose. If anything goes wrong, and this is due to sin, and the working of Satan and his demons, then God puts it right. God is not blind, He sees all, and He is in charge of all, whether we can fuller understand the struggles we may be in, we have one thing that we have that no one who is not a child of God has: it is our sure faith in God. Paul writes this and this should give you hope and a blessing: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Why take the time to discuss the Providence of God? It is this: if you cannot believe in the Providence of God then anything that may be said will have no meaning for you. The question as to why God has allowed afflictions in this life, to occur here on earth will never be answered and you will be left in you depression. But we are not destitute, we have God on our side, and Paul states: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, not height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39).
Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
therefore My heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,
says the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:20
Place All Your Trust In God
Richard L. Crumb
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