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Rediscovering the Power of God’s Personal Providence
The doctrine of providence has long stirred debate, especially in how it relates to human will. John Calvin’s reflections on the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the book of Exodus shine a light on this complex relationship. In Exodus 7:3, God declares, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,” while Exodus 8:15 tells us, “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” To some, these statements seem contradictory.
Calvin, however, argues they are not only compatible but necessary to understand the divine harmony between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. Man acts, but God governs.
According to Calvin, the will of God is the ultimate cause of all things. Yet, it operates through human choices without violating them. For him, God’s providence is not limited to the believers but extends even to the reprobate, shaping the course of history without rendering man a puppet.
Faith That Embraces Mystery
Calvin is pretty clear here: just because a truth of Scripture exceeds our understanding is no reason to reject it. He warns that it is sinful to dismiss something simply because it doesn’t fit our logic or seems mysterious to us.
In the closing chapters of Book One of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin links this doctrine to the Apostles Creed, “I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” To believe this is to believe not just in creation, but in His ongoing governance… God’s intimate involvement in every detail of life.
Yet, in today’s theological world, so-called Calvinists and others who once championed this belief seem tired and sidelined. A faith that once gave people personal as well as cosmic assurance has slipped into a faith that often sees God far away or even forgotten.
The Fallout of Mechanistic Providence
One reason for this drift is that many have adopted a naturalistic view of providence. Instead of believing in a God who actively governs, these folks have embraced a cold, mechanical universe. Totally non-personal. The concept of providence was emptied of its personal nature and transformed into something akin to fate or natural law.
This shift was accelerated by the Enlightenment, which exalted autonomous human reason and displaced God from His central place in the cosmos. Theologians, eager to appear reasonable, turned providence into a philosophical abstraction rather than a living truth. They attempted to harmonize it with natural theology, thereby stripping it of its uniquely Christian power.
Confessions of Personal Divine Care
Many historical Christian confessions posit God’s personal divine care. The practical and personal faith of earlier generations of believers saw God’s providence not as theoretical but as practical and personal. The French Confession of 1559 declared that God governs all events by His sovereign will. The idea of God allowing the world to be in a chaotic free-fall is rejected.
By contrast, even the works of devils and unbelievers are turned to good under His direction. This confession did not avoid the hard questions… it acknowledged the mystery… but it did so with humility and trust.
The Heidelberg Catechism of 1563 echoed this theme, proclaiming that not even a hair falls from our heads without God’s will, and that all creatures are so in His hand that they cannot move without His permission. These were not just theological statements; they were confessions of deep, unwavering faith in the nearness of God.
Providence as Protection, Not Abstraction
Providence is protection, not abstraction: A personal and living assurance to believe in God’s providence is to believe that we are never alone. We are surrounded by the love and control of a personal God who governs every detail.
Again, this belief is not a distant, abstract idea but a present and living assurance. When Calvin preached from Job in 1554, he told his congregation that afflictions are given to help us and actually advance our faith in the long term. God uses every sorrow to further His good purposes.
That is the core of providence: no neutrality in the Universe, nothing is meaningless. Every fact, every event, every tear has a place in God’s ultimate plan.
The Danger of Naturalizing God
The tragedy of modern theology is that it has traded the living God for a cold, lifeless universe. To seem rational and scientific, theologians began to view providence as an impersonal force. Nature and Naturalism took God’s place.
As a result, believers were no longer seen as closely held by a caring Father but as drifting through a cosmos governed by blind law. Calvinism declined because it no longer offered a vibrant vision of God’s presence, here and now.
When providence was reduced to fate or mechanism, it lost its power to comfort, guide, and embolden.
The Sparrow and the Father’s Hand
Think about what Jesus taught. He did not teach that a sparrow falls because some natural law of physics dictates it. He said it falls because the Father wills it. That single truth stands in stark contrast to modern naturalism. He didn’t teach about blind laws of nature. Nope. He taught His Father’s providential governance.
We may not always understand why pain comes, but we are told that our Father is working for good in all things… and that He is good. That belief is what gives strength to endure suffering. In a mechanical universe, we are abandoned and alone. In the hands of the Father, we are kept in His care.
The Welfare State vs. the Providence of God
Unfortunately, many today have replaced divine providence with statism, a political substitute. The state has become, in the minds of many, the new provider and protector.
From elitists like Yuval Noah Harari, who want us to be nano-chipped for purposes of control… to government workers in Washington providing welfare for the masses using distant computer servers have become the face of ostensible care… but top-down planners and human bureaucracy can never replace the personal love of God.
There is an immense difference between being sustained by the Creator of heaven and earth and being processed by a government program. One offers dignity and hope; the other breeds dependency and despair.
Returning to the God of All Providence
The truth is, we’ve wandered far from the faith of our forebears. In losing our trust in God’s providence, we have lost our sense of meaning, safety, and direction.
The way forward is not to modernize, naturalize or rationalize our faith but to return to the God who holds all things in His hand. He’s not far off. He is not abstract. He is our Father, and He is near.
At least 22 cities and 52 hospitals in the U.S. carry the name, Providence. We used to name our ships Providence. One old hymn that comes to mind, written by William Cowper in 1774, carries the Providence theme:
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
His plans are fixed on high;
His thoughts and ways are past finding out,
But all His paths are right.
Though dark the cloud that veils the day,
And storm and tempest blow,
This, too, shall pass away;
The night is wearing now.
The morn shall rise, and bring the day,
To chase the shades of night;
Then shall your heart rejoice and sing
The triumphs of His light.
Rediscovering His providence is not just a theological correction but a path back to confidence, courage, and hope in a chaotic world. But the best part? Believing in God’s providence means you’ll never be alone again. He’s not only close by, but knows us better than we know ourselves.
