This is a tough one for me, but I am certain this is a lesson God is desperately trying to teach me. It’s a lesson I need to learn if I want progress in this journey of life with the Lord. When I say ‘learn’ I don’t mean to simply understand what God’s providence means so I can have all the ‘right’ things to say should there be a fitting time to talk in this regard. No, instead what I mean is to understand and experience a genuine belief in God’s providence and therefore to live my life according to the belief that He is without a doubt, Providential.

I need to believe in His divine guidance and care at all times because He does provides it at all times, no matter what I may think or feel.

After all He does tell us:

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. [Jeremiah 29:11]

How does this Scripture begin? The Lord speaks to us. He tells us, “I KNOW…” He KNOWS. He doesn’t question or wonder or even project. HE KNOWS the plans HE has in mind for us.

And what exactly do those plans consist of? Welfare, NOT woe. Welfare, meaning health, happiness, prosperity, etc. These are all good, good things, my friends. He has planned good things for us, he has given us a future of hope.

The thing about believing in God’s providence is that our belief His providence exists is equally as important as our belief He will deliver on His promises. The act of believing in His promises aids the fulfillment of those very promises.

I understand. I understand firsthand even. This act of believing in His providence can be tough at times. We’ve all been hurt, we’ve been let down, disappointed, and made to believe that maybe God hears everyone else’s prayers except ours. I know these feelings. I’ve been right there with you and I was in the thick of that doubt as recent as last week. BUT what I’m learning now is a deeper trust, a deeper belief in His providence than ever before and you know what? God keeps showing up. He keeps showing me He is right here with me. He keeps reminding me of His promises and His plans to bless me. He keeps revealing another dot He’s working to connect. He is giving me touch-points to build my faith and allow me to see Him in everything. Truthfully, He has always been blessing me every moment of every day. I, on the other hand, had chosen to shield my eyes from seeing many of His blessings.

What a crap way to live, hey? I mean, really. Who wants to live expecting the worst? It’s not like I’ve intentionally lived that way. I’ve inadvertently lived that way due to fear. I’ve harbored a fear that the hopes and dreams I’ve held deep in my heart might never be fulfilled and then I’d be left with disappointment and no hope, instead of my half-hearted hope I’ve been trying to hang onto.

But who wants to live like that? What about the FULLNESS of hope? What about the FULLNESS of God’s providence? What about the FULLNESS of life? Why sell ourselves short? Why do we believe we couldn’t possibly receive His gifts in their FULLNESS?

What you think becomes. So if I keep choosing to hold back on my belief in God’s providence and that He does in fact have plans for my welfare not woe, then guess what? The fulfillment of those plans might also be withheld. Not because God is punishing us. That’s not it at all. He wants to give us everything our hearts desire. He put those desires there, after all. Instead, the reason those plans would be withheld is because we have free will and when we don’t believe fully in His providence we delay His best laid plans because we begin to act outside of God’s will, which tends to postpone His plans.

The quickest, surest way to God’s many blessings for us is to act in accord with His will and to do so immediately. Delaying our ‘yes’ to Him delays our obedience to Him and thus delays His plans for us. Unfortunately, because we are human we don’t always hear or see exactly what He asks of us right away so it often takes us many tries and much heartache to get to where God needs us, but He never, never leaves us. He never rejects us, He never even stops loving us intensely no matter how far we stray. He just gently pulls us back to center – His center – and moves us forward. He points us once again toward His will until we have learned (through trial, healing and growth) how to believe more fully in His providence.

Do you want it? Do you want to obtain the future God has created for you? I know I do. Join me, will you? Begin to actively believe in God’s providence. Begin to claim it. It’s yours for the taking.