This third installment of Frank Hamrick’s Mighty Through God focuses on the “Conquering Faith” needed to face life’s most difficult problems and trials. Frank says, “How do we develop conquer­ing faith? We develop conquering faith as we meditate in the providences of God.”

Definition Of Providences

The following is a good working definition: “Providences are every event and circumstance in our lives, designed and controlled by God, for His glory and our good.”

Every Event And Circumstance In Our Lives

All things that happen to a believer are providences. This is the truth of Romans 8:28. You cannot name one thing in your life that is not the result of the providence of God.

Designed And Controlled By God

Some events God actually plans for us and sends them into our lives. Other events He does not cause but does allow them to come into our lives for a purpose. However, whatever the case may be, you can be assured that God is in control of every aspect of the circumstances you are facing in your life.

For His Glory And Our Good

God is jealous over His glory (Isaiah 42:8); therefore, He has devised His plan in such a manner that no flesh will be able to boast in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:29). All that men will be able to say in God’s presence is recorded in Revelation 4:11: “Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Thus, God so designs His providences in our lives that He will be glo­rified, and we will be the better for them.

Importance Of Meditating In Providences

How important is meditation in God’s providences?

God Commands That We Meditate In Them

• Psalm 46:8: “Come, behold the works (providences) of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.”
• Psalm 66:5: “Come and see the works (providences) of God: he is terrible (awesome) in his doing toward the children of men.”

Anything God commands must be important. God commands that we repent and believe in Christ for salvation; He commands that we be bap­tized; He commands us to study His Word; He commands us to witness; He commands us to be filled with His Spirit; and He commands us to meditate in His providences. It must be important!

This Is The Reason Many Historical Events Are Recorded In Scripture

• Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were writ­ten for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
• 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
• 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profit­able for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

All of Scripture was written for our profit, including those historical sections which reveal God’s hand in providence. However, we can only derive the benefit these passages were meant to give if we meditate in them and look for the providence of God in them.

Meditation Is One Of The Best Ways To Increase Our Faith

We have said that meditation in God’s providences will give us conquering faith. Thus, it is important. We are to thoughtfully consider what God has done in the past in order to help us know and believe confidently that He will do the same for us in the present. This will give us new boldness in prayer, in witnessing, in standing for right against wrong and in enduring difficult situations.

Categories Of Providences

Where do we look for providences? How can we find them? Providences are found in four places.

• Personal Providences – Personal providences are those that have happened in your own life. One of the most exciting exercises a Christian can do is to review his entire life from birth to the present and look for the hand of God. As you search backward in your life and recall forgotten events, if you look carefully, you will find the hand of God in events to which you had not even given a second thought.
• Contemporary Providences – God’s providences can be seen in the lives of friends and family. You will hear many stories of “answered prayer,” “divine intervention” and “luck,” which are nothing more than the hand of God at work in the lives of your contemporaries.
• Biblical Providences – God’s providences can be seen in the lives of Bible characters.
• Historical Providences – God’s providences can be seen throughout history.