Psalm 8:1

My Shepherd received me before His throne, bruised from yesterday’s warfare, and limping into my closet. Only He would have noticed as I bounded down the stairs, Bible in my arms, but I felt it.

In His green pastures, I foraged about thinking of Providence, capitalized to differentiate it from common preparations a provident prince might make for war to protect, or to provide against foreseen needs of his province. I was thinking about Divine Providence—the exercise of God’s protective care for and over all His creation. The “invisible” Hand moving mankind toward the fulfillment of His will.

I recite Romans 8:28 incessantly; to my mind, this verse is the quintessential biblical statement affirming God’s continuous engagement in the affairs of created beings active in His creation: “All things work together for good” tells us that everything occurring is taken into the Hand of Divine Providence and turned to the service of His good purpose and plan.

Romans 8:26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Along the still waters, I reflected on the sublimity of the great truth that God, Who said, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Proverbs 12:10), being Himself the very definition of Righteous, would regard, would consider, would be thoughtful, mindful, and responsive to the needs, care, and even the comfort of His beasts (Matthew 10:29-31; Psalm 104:16-17; see Psalm 84:3); especially that creature He made in His image, and to whom He gave His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 6:25-34).

God’s hand, invisibly but manifestly, reaches into the affairs of men, shaping the destiny of lives and nations, is wonderfully illustrated in the life of Joseph, who understood that the evil intent of his brothers was turned to the service of God’s good intent for Joseph, and provision for the world (Genesis 50:20).

Esther testifies to God working behind the scenes of history, turning Haman’s wicked devices into the service of good.

David sang of the Providential working of our LORD in Psalm 107, especially 107:21-32. He employs creation and the creature in the outworking of His mighty design.

The scope of His work is inclusive of “all things,” and the counsel guiding His actions is “His will” (Ephesians 1:11). His will is bound to His immutable attributes, the chief of which is Love, followed closely by Goodness and Mercy, and with the powers of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence He presides over “all things,” no event is too small for His notice or to large for His management.

In the valley, I knelt in the shadow of an empty cross, the ultimate testament to His Providential care: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He spoke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table we talked, and in communion, sweet, He graciously anointed my head with His oil, mixed His sufficient grace into my daily cup, and called goodness and mercy to follow Love into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

NOTE: To any who might have wondered or were disappointed that I failed to post yesterday, I apologize. Dr. Beckum’s second edition of Prayer for Revival is overdue, and I must divert whatever time I have available to complete that project. Thank you for understanding.