Dr. Gary M. Barker, a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has written an article about how God prepared for Jesus’s birth by sending prophets to prepare people for the coming savior.
Dr. Gary Baker is a columnist for The and the Paso Robles Press; he may be reached at [email protected] ” data-medium-file=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?fit=286 percent 2C300&ssl=1″ data-medium-file=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?fit=2 ” data-large-file=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?fit=978 percent 2C1024&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?fit=978 percent 2 ” src=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?resize=320 percent 2C334&ssl=1″ src=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?resize=320 percent 2 ” alternative= “” wp-image-29685 class=”” wp-image-29685 class=”” wp-image jetpack-lazy-image width=”320″ height=”334″” width=”320″ height=”334″” width=”320″ height=”33 data-recalc-dims= “1” data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=”https://i2.wp.com/atascaderonews.com/wp-content/uploads/Gary-Barker-1-of-1bw-1.jpg?resize=320 percent 2C334&is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1″ data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy ” />Dr. Gary Baker is a freelance writer for The and the Paso Robles Press. He may be reached at pastor[email protected]
The concept of God’s providence is one of the most uplifting beliefs presented in the Bible. Everything in the world is under God’s direction, from creation to eternity future, according to a divine design. “My counsel will remain, and I will accomplish all my pleasure,” the Bible states in Isaiah 46:10. “Being predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will,” wrote the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:11. Theologians refer to God’s counsel or decision as His plan, which has made ALL PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE Events definite. God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient, so He can carry out His divine decision (all-knowing). God’s divine will is another name for God’s decision. God’s plan and purpose for every believer is for his benefit and blessing since God’s will is loving and good (Romans 8:28-29). God’s providence is the day-to-day carrying out of His divine purpose and will. A believer is expected to understand and carry out God’s will. (Ephesians 5:17, Romans 12:1-2). In James 4:13-17, the apostle James argues that it is wicked for a believer to not conduct his life in accordance with God’s desire. Jesus was the ideal example of someone who followed God’s wishes (John 4:34, 6:38). The entire goal of a believer’s life becomes to do God’s will. A believer’s ability to carry out God’s purpose will ALWAYS be enabled and provided for. God’s plan, carried out according to God’s Word, will never run out of God’s abundant supply. These facts provide a servant of God with complete assurance that he will be successful in carrying out God’s purpose and mission.
All of these wonderful principles were applied to Moses’ life and work. God had a wonderful plan for Moses’ life, which he was able to carry out because he surrendered to God’s will. Moses’ supernatural preparation was part of God’s providential plan. He was born a slave and rose through the ranks to become a prince who was educated and groomed to become a pharaoh. He was taught to read and write, and he was well-versed in Egyptian politics, economics, and religion. He would be able to become Israel’s deliverer with this education. Moses had been groomed to be a great leader and orator. Moses was prepared by God to be a successful creator of a new religion for his Jewish people. In the Pentateuch, God equipped him to write and record God’s moral rules (5 books of Moses). Moses did not get to the position of great leader by chance. Moses was providedntially transformed into the person God had planned for him. Moses became one of the most powerful biblical illustrations of what God can do in someone’s life. A slave became a royal, and a prince became a renowned prophet and political leader, one of God’s greatest servants. God’s foresight became a tangible reality.
There are some lessons to be learned.
- For everyone and everything that exists, God has a providential plan.
- People are prepared to serve God via God’s providential design.
- God’s goal for a believer is for him to be spiritually successful in whatever he does.
As an example:
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