THE MISSING PAGE AND GOD’S PROVIDENCE

-Introduction

-Amy and I had been married for several years before Delevan came along and then

  Kayla a couple of years later.

-Of course, with the arrival of Delevan, there were some significant changes in our lives.

            -Many of you have experienced those changes - some long ago, some recently.

            -Some will experience some of those changes before very long.

-Amy and I were always on the go.  We had to slow down a little bit.

-Our schedules began to be organized around feeding times, naps, etc.

            -When we went somewhere, it seemed that we packed half the house.

-Also, little things changed - especially when Delevan became mobile via a walker.

            -We had to be careful where we left things.

            -Delevan’s first black eye came from a heavy Coca-cola glass I left in his reach.

-One thing I had to be careful with was my Bible.  I use to leave it in various places in the

  house.  No longer could I leave it in the reach of little hands.

      -One day, after leaving my Bible on the coffee table, Delevan got ahold of it and in

  no time had a page torn out of it.

-It’s that page that I want to think about in this evening’s lesson.

-Our God is an Awesome God

-Our God is an awesome God in the true sense of the word “awesome.”

     -Isa 44:6-8; 46:10; 55:8-9

-When we consider the whole of the scriptures and realize that they reveal God’s single

  plan of redemption for mankind - completely and cohesively - we should be left in utter

  awe of our God!

     -2 Tim 3:16-17 - We have been completely furnished.

-It is absolutely amazing (mind boggling) to consider how God utilized so many people

  with different backgrounds in so many different places amidst different circumstances to

  reveal His will for mankind.

     -God utilized people that mankind would have never thought of including.

     -example:  Matt 1 - the women included in the lineage of Jesus - Rahab (prostitute);

                      Bathsheba (indirectly listed - adulteress), Tamar (adulteress), Ruth (Moabitess)

-Through the hand of God and those He employed in His plan, His will unfolded.

     -Who would have thought that a Pharisee of Pharisee - a severe persecutor of Christians -

       could be utilized as God utilized Saul, whom we better know as the apostle Paul?

            -Who would have thought that a young shepherd boy would be the one to stand up to and

              defeat the Philistine giant, Goliath.  Who would have ever expected that young boy to

              become one of Israel’s most respected kings and an earthly ancestor of Jesus?

            -Who would have thought that a young man, betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery,

              would eventually be such an integral part of the Almighty God’s plan for mankind?  Yet,

              that’s exactly what happened with Joseph.

-The Missing Page and Joseph

-So, there I was holding my Bible in one hand and the page Delevan had torn out in the other.

-Then the thought came to me:  What if this page didn’t exist?  What if the events recorded on

  it were missing from God’s plan?

-The page included information regarding Joseph. 

-Basics of the life of Joseph.

            -Gen 50:20

            -The lineage that led to Jesus was preserved by the actions of Joseph.  (Heb 7:14)

-What if Joseph never existed?  Sure, God could have accomplished His will however He

  chose to.  He could have done something different if Joseph never lived.  But, that’s just it -

  God didn’t have to do anything different.  Everything unfolded just as He knew it would.

-When we consider God’s plan, there’s not a page missing.  Each page is important.

-God’s Providence In Our Lives

-In a previous lesson, I made reference to John 5:17.  In that lesson, I said that God works in

  a number of ways:  creation/nature, His word, His people, His providence.

-It’s amazing how much God has accomplished through His providential care.

            -I believe that His providential care toward His children continues today.

                        -Rom 8:28 - God takes care of His people.

-I believe the providence of God has been active in my life.

            -not because I’m somebody special, not because I’m better that everybody else - simply

              because I’m a child of God

            -I can’t point to a specific incident and say, “That was absolutely the providence of God.”

                        -Circumstance?  Coincidence?  or Providence of God?

-God’s providence is hard to “see” through the windshield but it becomes more clear in

  the rear-view mirror.

-Let’s not underestimate the providence of God.  God does still work and He still accomplishes

  His will.

            -Let’s work for God and allow Him to providentially work for us and through us.

-side note:  God’s providence never overrides our decision-making process (freedom to

  choose).  Instead, God’s providence works within our choices.  So, we must

  still make wise choices.

-So, let’s make good choices and let’s be active in our service to God.

            -With His providential care and the power of His word, we can accomplish great

              things to His glory.

-What about you?  Are you serving God?  Are you a part of His spiritual family?

      -If you’ve never obeyed the Gospel, please do so:  Believe (John 3:16), Confess (Rom

  10:9-10), Repent (Acts 17:30), Be Baptized (Acts 2:38)

-If you haven’t remained faithful to Him confess your shortcomings, repent of them and

  pray for God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:7-9, Acts 8:22-24).