Levi Hopkins discusses chapter 5, paragraph 7 of Divine Providence, which states that God's providence reaches all creatures, but takes special care of his church. God's providence should be understood as his upholding, directing, disposing, and governing of all things according to his predetermined plan for his creation. Examples of God's providence can be found in Acts and Romans. As God's people, we should have fearless, anxiety-free hearts, and trust in God's providential plan for our good.

So we're picking up today in chapter 5 in paragraph 7 of Divine Providence. I'm gonna read through it one more time. As the Providence of God does in general reach to all creatures, so after a more special manner it takes care of his church and disposes of all things to the good thereof. Noah Webster defines providence as foresight, timely care, and particularly active foresight. I think it'd be good to back up and just read through paragraph one one more time.

I know we already covered this paragraph in a previous message, but I think it lays the foundation for providence and just keeping that in our memories going forward and the different ways that God's providences worked out. So paragraph one, God the good creator of all things in his infinite power and wisdom does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy Providence to the end for the which they were created, according unto his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, and infinite mercy. God's providence should be understood as his upholding, directing, disposing, and governing of all things according to his good pleasure. His providence should be understood as absolute, as God's unchangeable unfolding of his predetermined plan for his creation. An example of this can be found in Acts chapter 4 verses 27 through 28.

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. In this act of Providence we see a clear example of what the confession is trying to describe to us today. One, we see God's providence working in general in all his creatures and in creation, upholding, directing, disposing, and governing as he pleases. Two, we see God's providence in a special manner, upholding, directing, and disposing for the good of His people. A good scripture proof for this aspect of God's providence is found in Romans chapter 8 verses 27 through 28, where we see God's special outworking and bringing things together for the good of his people.

Romans chapter 8 verse 27 to 28. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. In God's providence, he predetermined, in this example that's being given, that hearts should be hardened, that peoples and rulers gather together in hatred against Christ, and that Christ should be crucified. We see many lives here being touched by God's providence and directed. We also see in a special manner God's providence bringing forth the greatest good for his people, the church, and sending Christ to be a sacrifice, to be this substitutional sacrifice for his people.

So in considering God's providence and his outworking and his special providing, upholding all things and directing all things for the good of his people, I think we can have a few applications. As God's people, we should be a fearless people. The most repeated command in Scripture is to fear not. And if we truly believe this doctrine then we should know that Nothing is outside of God's plan. Everything is falling perfectly in order with what he has for us as his people and it is for our best good.

We should be a people with zero anxiety. We can't know the future. We can't change the future. We can't change one small aspect of our life, of our plans and goals, our careers, our family life, or whatever gives us anxiety. It should be dropped.

It's all according to God's perfect plan and it's for our good, for the good of his people. That should give us much peace, just trusting in God. And it's a humbling doctrine too, knowing that God is mindful of us and caring for us in our lowest state. It shouldn't be a prideful doctrine that We think that God somehow considers us to be so great that He's mindful of us. It's completely undeserved.

We are His creation. We have need. He has no need. He's fully sufficient without us, and that should give us thankful hearts and worship-filled hearts, seeing God in His greatness, His goodness, His mercy toward us. So that's all I have on that section.