God's Providence & Loftiness

"God's providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over all His creation, directing all things to their appointed end for His own glory. Note that His providence embraces two activities: caring for his creation and governing it. Both have His glory as their goal, and in both we see His wisdom."

"...practical wisdom in every field of endeavor comes from God. It may come by way of parents, teachers, or mentors, but it all originated ultimately with God. He is not only infinite in His widsom, but He is the source of all the finite wisdom we posses. Endowing mankind with all manner of skills and practical wisdom for living on this earth is a part of God's care for the world."

"God's rule is universal and absolute. No one can act outside of God's will or against it. Nothing is too large or small to escape His governing hand. A sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His will (Matthew 10:29); not one drop of rain falls without His command (Amos 4:7). The mighty Babylonian Empire falls in one night because of God's rule over creation, Calvin says, 'He directs everything by his incomprehensible wisdom and disposes it to his own end.'"

"A classic example of God's using unwitting instruments to fulfill His purpose is the action of Joseph's brothers in selling him into slavery (Genesis 37:12-36)...The sinful brothers intended one thing; God intended another. Both accomplished their purposes, but God used the brothers' sinful actions to save many lives. God's invisible hand is guided by unerring wisdom and ingenious plans."

"One reason we may not recognize God's wisdom in providence (reminder: His care + rule of creation) is because He often works in ways contrary to how we would...He tells us that our thoughts and ways simply are not His, and adds, 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts' (Isaiah 55:8-9). The implication in this passage, writes Edward J. Young,

is that just as the heavens are so high above the earth that

by human standards their height cannot be measured, so

also are God's ways and thoughts so above those of man that

they cannot be grasped by man in their fullness. In other

words, the ways and thoughts of God are incomprehensible

to man. Even though God reveals them to man, he cannot

fully understand them; to him they are incomprehensible."

"Humility should be a hallmark of those who fear and worship God. To accept that God's ways are often mysterious, that His wisdom is infinite and ours only finite, is an important expression of humility. Then we can say with David, 'My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful to me.' (Psalm 131:1)"

-Excerpts from I Exalt You, O God by Jerry Bridges