
Believers are called to be faithful, but even our best efforts fall short of God’s standard. Learn how true faithfulness is cultivated and how to put it into practice. Join Alistair Begg on Truth For Life as he continues a study on the fruit of the Spirit.
From the Sermon

Displays of Divine Providence
Here is a picture of the doctrine of providence.
When men and women go about their business, God’s hand is always involved. Question 2 of the New City Catechism includes a helpful summary of this doctrine: “Nothing happens except through him and by his will.” The Bible is clear in its teaching that God is sovereign over every detail of every part of the universe. In creation, God exercised His divine energy to bring the world into being. In His perfect providence, He continues to exercise His divine energy to sustain the universe and bring all things to their appointed end—uniting all things in heaven and earth under Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10).
There is some mystery in how God directs the course of events without violating the nature of what or who is involved. Charles Bridges provides helpful insight on the way this unfolds: “In inert matter he acts by physical force; in brute animals, by instinct and appetite; in intelligent beings, by motives suited to their faculties; in his redeemed people, by the influence of grace.”[1] In God’s economy and purposes, the causality of natural events, circumstances, and free decisions is used by Him in order to achieve His glorious ends. Throughout Scripture this pattern is repeated, whether it’s through Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Herod, Pilate, or other figures. Though earthly rulers set themselves against the Lord as they exercised their rebellious wills, they were at the same time part of God’s foreordained plan of salvation (Psalm 2:1-2; Acts 4:25-26). He turns all plans, even the desires of the heart of the most powerful men and women, “wherever he will.”
For those of us who belong to Jesus, God’s providence brings security. When we become disheartened because it is obvious that the wicked flourish and that bad is called good, the Bible reminds us that God is sovereign over all affairs. These things neither surprise nor defeat Him; indeed, He has made use of the wicked often, sometimes to protect and shield His people and at other times to purify and refine them. After the event, we may sometimes discern His purpose; during the event, we are simply to trust His providence.
God is the heavenly Father who seeks to draw you to Himself and make you His own. It is likely that even now you are thinking of circumstances that seem contrary to God’s will and that confuse you. Remember His sovereignty, rehearse His purpose, and sing:
I trust in God, I know He cares for me,
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Though billows roll, He keeps my soul,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.[2]
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
24And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ptogether to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, qwho made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,4 said by the Holy Spirit,
r“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth set themselves,
and sthe rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his tAnointed’5—
27for truly in this city there were gathered together against your uholy servant Jesus, vwhom you anointed, both wHerod and xPontius Pilate, along ywith the Gentiles and zthe peoples of Israel, 28ato do whatever your hand and byour plan had predestined to take place. 29And now, Lord, clook upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all dboldness, 30while eyou stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed fthrough the name of your gholy servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, hthe place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ithey were all filled with the Holy Spirit and jcontinued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.

Dwelling in God’s Presence
Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.
Hagar had once found deliverance there, and Ishmael had drunk from the water so graciously revealed by the God who lives and sees the sons of men; but that was a merely casual visit, such as unbelievers pay to the Lord in times of need, when it suits them. They cry to Him in trouble but forsake Him in prosperity. Isaac dwelt there and made the well of the living and all-seeing God his constant source of supply.
The usual tenor of a man’s life, the dwelling of his soul, is the true test of his state. Perhaps the providential visitation experienced by Hagar struck Isaac’s mind and led him to revere the place. Its mystical name endeared it to him; his frequent musings at its brim at evening made him familiar with the well. Meeting Rebecca there had made his spirit feel at home near the spot; but best of all, the fact that there he enjoyed fellowship with the living God had made him select that hallowed ground for his dwelling.
Let us learn to live in the presence of the living God; let us ask the Holy Spirit that this day, and every other day, we may sense, ”God, You see me.” May the Lord be as a well to us, delightful, comforting, unfailing, springing up unto eternal life. The bottle of the creature cracks and dries up, but the well of the Creator never fails; happy is he who dwells at the well and as a result has abundant and constant supplies at hand.
The Lord has been a sure helper to others: His name is Shaddai, God All-sufficient. Our hearts have often had most delightful communion with Him; through Him our soul has found her glorious Husband, the Lord Jesus; and in Him this day we live and move and have our being. Let us, then, dwell in closest fellowship with Him. Glorious Lord, constrain us, that we may never leave You but dwell by the well of the living God.

Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for February 17
1Then Joseph vfell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. 2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to wembalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians xwept for him seventy days.
4And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, y“If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb zthat I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left ain the land of Goshen. 9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, bthey lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he cmade a mourning for his father seven days. 11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim;1 it is beyond the Jordan. 12Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13for dhis sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham ebought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
God's Good Purposes
15When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of fthe God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18His brothers also came and gfell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for ham I in the place of God? 20As for you, you meant evil against me, but iGod meant it for good, to bring it about that many people2 should be kept alive, as they are today. 21So do not fear; jI will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23And Joseph saw Ephraim's children kof the third generation. The lchildren also of Machir the son of Manasseh were mcounted as Joseph's own.3 24And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but nGod will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land othat he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25Then pJoseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They qembalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of jTiberius Caesar, kPontius Pilate lbeing governor of Judea, and mHerod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during nthe high priesthood of Annas and oCaiaphas, pthe word of God came to qJohn the son of Zechariah in rthe wilderness. 3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming sa baptism of repentance tfor the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in uthe book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
v“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
w‘Prepare the way of the Lord,1
make his paths straight.
5xEvery valley shall be filled,
yand every mountain and hill shall be made low,
zand the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6aand all flesh shall see bthe salvation of God.’”
7He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, c“You brood of dvipers! Who warned you to flee from ethe wrath to come? 8Bear fruits fin keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, g‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from hthese stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. iEvery tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10And the crowds asked him, j“What then shall we do?” 11And he answered them, k“Whoever has two tunics2 is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12lTax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, jwhat shall we do?” 13And he said to them, m“Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, jwhat shall we do?” And he said to them, m“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your nwages.”
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, owhether he might be pthe Christ, 16qJohn answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but rhe who is mightier than I is coming, sthe strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you twith the Holy Spirit and ufire. 17His vwinnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to wgather the wheat into his barn, xbut the chaff he will burn with yunquenchable fire.”
18So zwith many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19But aHerod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added this to them all, that bhe locked up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when cJesus also had been baptized and was praying, dthe heavens were opened, 22and ethe Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and fa voice came from heaven, g“You are my beloved Son;3 with you I am well pleased.”4
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
23Jesus, hwhen he began his ministry, was about ithirty years of age, being jthe son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, kthe son of Zerubbabel, the son lof Shealtiel,5 the son of Neri, 28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of mNathan, the son of David, 32nthe son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34othe son of Jacob, pthe son of Isaac, qthe son of Abraham, rthe son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Job 16
Job Replies: Miserable Comforters Are You
1Then Job answered and said:
2“I have heard emany such things;
fmiserable comforters are you all.
3Shall gwindy words have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
4I also could speak as you do,
if you were in my place;
I could join words together against you
and hshake my head at you.
5I could strengthen you with my mouth,
and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.
6“If I speak, my pain is not assuaged,
and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
7Surely now God has worn me out;
ihe has1 made desolate all my company.
8And he has shriveled me up,
which is ja witness against me,
and my kleanness has risen up against me;
it testifies to my face.
9He has ltorn me in his wrath mand hated me;
he has ngnashed his teeth at me;
my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.
10Men have ogaped at me with their mouth;
they have pstruck me insolently on the cheek;
they qmass themselves together against me.
11God gives me up to the ungodly
and casts me into the hands of the wicked.
12I was at ease, and he broke me apart;
he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces;
he set me up as his rtarget;
13his sarchers surround me.
He slashes open my kidneys tand does not spare;
he upours out my gall on the ground.
14He breaks me with vbreach upon breach;
he wruns upon me like a warrior.
15I have sewed xsackcloth upon my skin
and have laid ymy strength zin the dust.
16My face is red with weeping,
and on my eyelids is adeep darkness,
17although there is no bviolence in my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
18“O earth, ccover not my blood,
and let my dcry find no resting place.
19Even now, behold, my ewitness is in heaven,
and he who testifies for me is fon high.
20My friends gscorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
21that he would hargue the case of a man with God,
as2 a son of man does with his neighbor.
22For when a few years have come
I shall go the way ifrom which I shall not return.
Job 17
Job Continues: Where Then Is My Hope?
1“My spirit is broken; my days are jextinct;
kthe graveyard is ready for me.
2Surely there are mockers about me,
and my eye dwells on their lprovocation.
3“Lay down a pledge for me with you;
who is there who will put up msecurity for me?
4Since you have closed their hearts to understanding,
therefore you will not let them triumph.
5He who informs against his friends to get a share of their property—
the neyes of his children will fail.
6“He has made me oa byword of the peoples,
and I am one before whom men spit.
7My peye has grown dim from vexation,
and all my members are like qa shadow.
8The upright are rappalled at this,
and the innocent stirs himself up against the godless.
9Yet the righteous holds to his way,
and he who has sclean hands grows stronger and stronger.
10But you, tcome on again, all of you,
and I shall not find a wise man among you.
11My udays are past; my plans are broken off,
the desires of my heart.
12They vmake night into day:
‘The light,’ they say, ‘is near to the darkness.’1
13If I hope for wSheol as xmy house,
if I make my bed in darkness,
14if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
15where then is my hope?
Who will see my hope?
16Will it go down to the bars of wSheol?
The Ministry of Apostles
1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and nstewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4oFor I am not aware of anything against myself, pbut I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore qdo not pronounce judgment before the time, rbefore the Lord comes, swho will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. tThen each one will receive his commendation from God.
6I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,1 that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may ube puffed up in favor of one against another. 7For who sees anything different in you? vWhat do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, wlike men sentenced to death, because we xhave become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10yWe are fools for Christ's sake, but zyou are wise in Christ. aWe are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11To the present hour bwe hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and cbuffeted and dhomeless, 12and we elabor, working with our own hands. fWhen reviled, we bless; gwhen persecuted, we endure; 13when slandered, we entreat. hWe have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, ithe refuse of all things.
14I do not write these things jto make you ashamed, but to admonish you kas my beloved children. 15For lthough you have countless2 guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For mI became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16I urge you, then, nbe imitators of me. 17That is why oI sent3 you Timothy, pmy beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,4 qas I teach them everywhere in every church. 18Some are rarrogant, sas though I were not coming to you. 19But tI will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20For uthe kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21What do you wish? vShall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
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