Day 88

Of Divine Providence

Chapter 5, Paragraph 3.

“... yet is free to work, without,…“

Scripture Lookup

Hosea 1:7

Reflection

In God’s ordinary providence He uses means to accomplish His decree.  However, it does not mean that He must use means all the time. God is not dependent upon any thing or creature He has made; He is most free to work His providence without the use of means.

Our Scripture reading gives an example of God working without means. “But I…will deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.” What is the normal way to be rescued? Isn’t it to have a great battle with large armies and mighty weapons? Yet we see times where God delivers without any of those things. In 2 Kings 19, the Lord defeated a whole army in one night without using a single soldier or weapon.

Remind yourself, then, that while there are normal ways of providence being fulfilled, they are not the only means God has at His disposal. He can act without them! Thomas Boston reminds us: “Do not despair if there be no means, for God can work without them, as well as with them…” While sometimes our troubled selves may not see how God can accomplish His will, we can know that He does accomplish it, no matter the circumstances.

Questions to Consider

• Is it hard to believe that God can work without means?