If we trust that God is
good and wise then we have reason to trust his providence. He orders things according to his
purposes so that his will, which is good and wise, comes to pass. This should
be a source of comfort for this means that we are not subject to random,
impersonal forces. Quite the contrary, all things, in the words of the Heidelberg
Catechism, “come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand.”
How are we to respond when we are subjected to what the
Puritans called, “dark providences”? These are the times when difficulties --
tragedies, even -- disturb our peace. Are we to just grit our teeth and say, “Ah,
the Lord’s will be done”? That’s an option, but it’s not our only option.
Assuming that there is a wise and good purpose behind what is currently
covering the sun, it’s our task to prayerfully experience what that purpose is.
It may be that God would have us fight the darkness, and action, even bold
action, may be called for. That being said, whatever his purpose, we are to
trust that he is in control.
God is at work. God is
always at work. Let’s pray for greater discernment that we might see the hand
of the Lord in both the extraordinary and the mundane.
