“Some providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards.” -John Flavel
I can’t say I know a great deal about the Hebrew language. In fact, all I do know is it must be read opposite of our English language. In Hebrew one must read right to left instead of left to right.
By Meticulous Providence I mean Gods governing ALL things in the cosmos, in love and with great wisdom. And by ALL things I mean ALL.
When we think about Gods Providence, it only makes sense to look at it backwards, going through time. Sounds odd, but to get a true sense of Providence we must start now and go backwards. We don’t know Gods secret will for our lives, so we don’t know what’s next. But we can look at where we are now and where we were 10 years, 20 years ago and see a picture of Providence.
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers. I won’t go through the entire story but I will point out that his brothers did him wrong. Joseph was the Son of Jacob, he was one of 12 actually. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because of their jealousy. Joseph spent many years in prison, and was eventually given great power under Pharaoh. This was during a great famine and his brothers came to Egypt looking for food. In Gen 45 Joseph reveals who he is to his brothers because they did not know him. Gen 45:7 Joseph points backwards to Gods Providence and says “God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” And in Gen 50:18 Joseph says “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good”.
God, through Meticulous Providence, worked all things and events to bring about His purpose for Joseph, his brothers, his father and many others. I can look back in time now and stitch together events that took place in my life to get me to where I am today. It really goes all the way back to my conception. Everything in my life, including my life, has been under the Providence of God. From the smallest detail to the largest, directing me in the very direction He wanted me to go.
From a baby in the womb, to a crawling toddler, a rebellious late teen, and a young father. I can sit back and place all the pieces together and see that going backward in time my path to today wasn’t chance. It wasn’t luck or of my own will. God wasn’t waiting for me to move so He could plan His next move. His Providence set my course and kept me moving forward and I can see it now by looking backwards.
No King but Christ 