“You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you”
(Nehemiah 9:6).
General Providence
In Acts 17:24-28, the Apostle Paul presents four significant doctrines that greatly affect how we view the world and live out our faith. In brief these are:
1. Creation — “God made the world;”
2. Lordship — “He is Lord of heaven and earth;”
3. Providence — “He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; . . . for in Him we live and move and exist;”
4. Sovereignty — “He made . . . every nation . . . having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” It is extremely important for Christians to understand each of these, and the implications they have for our lives and for society.
Most Americans today are not familiar with the word providence, in use or meaning. The Founders of America used this word often and understood well what it meant.
Stephen McDowell, the President of the Providence Foundation in Charlottesville and also President of the Foundation’s Biblical Worldview University. He has written numerous books and training courses on America’s Christian history and on the need to live by Biblical principles in order to prosper as a nation.
