The Unseen Hand of God in Our LivesНамуна

The Providence Of God

There are things that happen to us in life that we take credit for when they’re good, and if they’re not good, we blame ourselves, others, or the devil, 

Even though the hand of God is at work in our lives, we do not see it. But God is ever present with us even when He seems to be most conspicuously absent, as we see in the book of Esther.

Esther is unique in all the Bible because it is the only book in Scripture that does not mention the name of God directly. Yet His fingerprints are all through the book.

In this chapter, we see how God was working behind the scenes and how He is firmly and sovereignly in control of all circumstances.

There are three banquets mentioned in Chapter 1. The drunken party, the refusal of Vashti, and the reaction of Ahasuerus are all being used by the providence of God for His glory. It was because of what happened at the banquets that led to the appearance of Esther on the stage in history.

However, we need to note what teacher, Campbell Morgan, points out, “God did not make Ahasuerus drunk, and God did not put into his heart the unholy desire that Vashti should be presented to his drunken lords; but God is in the shadow while Ahasuerus and his crowd of lords indulge in their carousal, while Vashti declines to yield to the whim of the king; and He uses Esther for the deliverance.”

Never fall into the trap of thinking that God is asleep or that He is sitting in heaven wringing His hands when He is looking at the problems you are going through or when He looks at the chaos in the world right now. 

What catches us by surprise never has the same effect on God, as He knows the end from the beginning.

The providence of God is at work behind the scenes. That word "providence" comes from the Latin provideo, which means that I see a thing beforehand (pro = before; video = I see); so that the root meaning of providence is foresight.

God knows the future beforehand and undertakes for us to fulfil His purposes in our lives. In this chapter, we see God dealing with and using the most trifling things to carry out His purpose. A whim of Ahasuerus caused Vashti to be set aside and Esther, the orphan Jewess, to take her place.

Divide your life into three equal (or nearly equal) parts. For example, if you are 30 years old, you would break up your life like this: 0–10, 11–20, 21–30. Then, think of one significant event in each of those time periods. Then spend time identifying the unseen hand of God that worked out those significant events. You will be amazed to see how God worked and what He used to fulfil His plans in your life. Spend time thanking God for what He has done.

Quote: “Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God's ordering and permission”. JC. Ryle

Prayer. Lord, I thank you that my future is safe in Your hands. Amen