God’s Providential Working In Our Daily Life

By Augustine Achilike…

Very often, people have faith only when they see the powerful hand of God at work in spectacular events. But in truth, not all who see the miraculous events will come to faith. It is often in the ordinary circumstances of life that God reveals His presence, His love and mercy. But we need eyes of faith and humility to be attentive to His presence in these ordinary events. More often than not, we encounter God’s love through the kind actions of others, their encouraging words and compassion. Let us walk by faith, not by sight! (2 Cor 5:7) [Genesis 23:1-4. 19; 24:1-8. 62-67; Psalm 106:1-5; Matthew 9:9-13]

God will provide.

 It is said that faith increases when we exercise it through the trials of life. We read of how Abraham’s faith in God grew from strength to strength, until the ultimate test when God asked for the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. Indeed, maturity in Faith is not something that we arrive at in a short while. Faith, like trust, takes time to build up. Where are we in this continuum of growth in faith? Do we trust that God will provide for our every need, or do we rather rely on our own strength and ingenuity, like Abraham who, at the start of his journey, sought to protect his interests using worldly ways instead of trusting in God’s promised protection and providence? [Genesis 22:1 – 19; Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9; Matthew 9:1-8]

The dynamism of faith.

How often have we doubted God, not just His love and care for us but even His existence? Thomas sincerely had difficulties believing in the resurrection of our Lord. How could one so ready to die for Jesus not accept his death when it came? But God is patient with us in our growth in faith. There is a dynamism in spiritual growth. Some days it grows, other days relatively stagnant, and at times, we retrogress. St. Thomas thought that his faith in the Lord was indefatigable. But he was proven wrong when his faith was put to the test. Faith is not something we secure once and for all, just like any relationship. What we can learn from Thomas is the need for us to open ourselves in trust to the Lord if we want to get more. It is in believing that we see more. [Ephesians 2: 19 – 22; Psalm 117: 1 – 2; John 20: 24 – 29]

The Measure of Success.

The world measures success by Key Performance Indicators. It is concerned with tangible results, which are externally observable. On the contrary, success in God’s eyes is measured by our fidelity to Him. The primary goal of ministry is to give glory to the Father, just as Jesus did in His entire life. Success is the work of the Holy Spirit. Our task is to be faithful to our calling. Obedience to His call is how we define success. As St Paul says, God is not constrained by our weaknesses. He can, if He chooses, make use of us for His greater glory even when we are incompetent or lack creativity. We can only do our best and leave the results to God. Like Ezekiel, we are called to provide an alternative model for success, which is to live a life in obedience to the Word of God. [Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6]

Imperfect faith is perfected by grace.

We must not delimit the power of God to act and to save. He is our healer and He can restore us to life. Everything is pure grace alone and God has the power to do everything. It does not mean that God will give us what we want only if we observe all the laws. Merits are expressions of our love for God and gratitude to Him, not conditions to receive God’s favour. Rather, we are called to exercise faith in Him, just like the synagogue official and the woman suffering from haemorrhage. But even if our faith is weak, all we need to do is to imitate the father whose child was suffering from epilepsy. He said to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24) Indeed, we pray, “My God, in you I trust.” [Genesis 28:10-22; Psalm 91:1-4, 14-15; Matthew 9:18-26]

Hope in his promises enables us to stand firm to the end.

When sending the apostles out on mission, Jesus forewarned them about the trials they would face. Persecutions would come from four main groups of people, namely, the State, businesses, their own people, and their family members. These are the same groups of people that continue to persecute the Church today. How can we stand firm in the face of persecution? Jesus promised the apostles His Holy Spirit. So, too, He assured Jacob, “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen 28:15) Assurance of the Lord being with us will give us the strength to persevere till the end. We too must persevere like Jacob in all our trials. As the Lord assures us, “the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.” [Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30; Psalm 37:3-4,18-19,27-28, 39-40; Matthew 10:16-23]