Our God is a creative and providential God. Before there was anything, there was God. He did not need a beginning substance n order to create. Nor does He need any influence from outside Himself in order to continue His creation. Charles W. Christian supports this in his lecture by saying, “Traditionally, Christian theology has affirmed a creation ex nihilo, “out of nothing,” implying that God did not need any pre-existing matter to form the universe. God is seen as the “first cause” or “prime mover” of the forces of the universe.” This is also backed up by the Bible. In Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 we read, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (KJV).
There are countless origin stories out there that one may adopt for their beliefs. But only the creation story told in Genesis tells of a loving God creating something from nothing all because He wants fellowship.
We may never fully grasp why God created the universe and humankind this side of Heaven, but His agape love is shown in the fact that He not only created but sustains and provides. This is why we say He is a providential God. “In God’s sovereignty and majesty, God is not thought to create out of any sense of incompleteness or need. Instead, God freely created the world and creatures such as human beings out of love for the purpose of fellowship with God” (Thorsen p. 99).
He made us because He wanted fellowship with us. He gave us a world that clearly points us to Him, and He continues to guide and shape us daily into the likeness of His Son, providing we want that, too.
Just as a an earthly father takes care of his children, feeding them, providing for their needs, and teaching them how to be responsible adults one day, Father God nourishes us and changes us to be more like Him. “Sustaining also means providing nourishment, support, and endurance. This sustenance means more than maintaining the status quo. Instead, it leads to more growth and effectiveness in achieving the purposes of God” (Thorsen p. 102).
If we believe that God created His own raw material in order to create, then we must believe He had a plan for all of it. While we think of time as linear, God sees the beginning and end in one glance. Thus, we understand that “Providence is a logical extension of the concept of creation” (Dunning p. 247).
Continuing His creation story, God provided a way for that fellowship He longs for, and we can clearly see it in Romans 5:8. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (KJV).
In the Old Testament many names are used for God. For example, in Genesis 22, God provides a ram as a sacrifice. Verse 14 says, “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” (KJV).
The account in this chapter tells how God commanded Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac as a burnt offering. Without questioning his Lord, Abraham takes his son and goes to a mountain that God shows him and prepares his son for sacrifice. Just in the Nic of time, God stays his hand from killing Isaac and provides a ram which is caught in a thicket by his horns.
What I like about this demonstration of God’s providence is God commands a sacrifice, then He provides what He asked for. Of course, at first it seems as if God is asking the impossible, but when Abraham does as he is commanded, God provides. It is a test of faith, for sure, but God is faithful.
As the Creator, Sustainer, and Provider, God is both transcendent and imminent, grounding us in hope, coherence, and wholeness. “All these are affirmed in the doctrine of God the Creator” (Dunning p. 239).
Hope in God and His plans for us, plus being one with the body of Christ and living in wholeness is a miracle in itself, brought on by God’s intention, our willingness, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Dunning says, “Miracle is that event (or nonevent) that creates in one a personal awareness of God” (250). And, when one experiences that personal awareness of the Creator, he or she is forever changed.
In Jeremiah 29:11 the writer says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (KJV). Many versions translate “thoughts” to “plans”. Either way, God has a plan and thinks of us. He had plans in history, and we can look back and see where His hand guided and provided. One example is in Exodus when He used Moses and Aaron to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. We can see God’s providence in the life of Jesus. Later yet still in our history, we see how God used men in power like Constantine to further the Gospel. Knowing all this, I believe that God is not finished, and what He promises today, He will fulfill. There was and is still a purpose for everything and all of us. “God as the Transcendent, creative ground of history is faith’s warrant that history is not a series of fortuitous events without pattern or purpose” (Dunning p. 239).Works Cited
Christian, Charles W., Cosmology, Providence, and Evil, Lecture
Dunning, H. Ray, Grace, Faith, & Holiness: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology, Beacon Hill Press, 1988
Thorsen, Don, An Exploration of Christian Theology, Baker Academic, 2008-2020
Shannon Wells 