God's Providence, Man Plans but God Directs

The sermon today. For a title to our sermon, the title is, The Providence of God, Man Plans, But the Lord Directs. A little bit of a long title there, but The Providence of God, Man Plans, But the Lord Directs. I'm so excited to bring this subject matter to you today.

We're going to talk about a particular doctrine today, and perhaps it's a truth, a doctrine, that you might not have considered in some time, or perhaps even considered at all. But if that's the case, that would be unfortunate, because without being at risk of overselling it, I will say that this particular doctrine, this particular truth, has the real possibility of changing your life, or at the very least, changing your whole perspective on life, as it will reveal what is the magnitude of God's involvement in your life.

And this doctrine, the summary of this doctrine, is found in one verse, so let's turn there now. That is Proverbs 16 and verse 9. If you have your Bibles, or if you'd like to listen along, let's turn to Proverbs 16 and verse 9. This is where we will establish our focus for today.

One verse, just a few words, but it's grand in what it expresses to us. Proverbs 16 and verse 9 clearly states, A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Let's stop there. One verse, a profound revealing of God's providence. A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

I'm going to ask you several times today whether you believe this. Whether you believe this. I like the King James Version. It uses the word deviseth. So in other words, man devises his purposes in life. Man devises his plans, but the Lord directs his steps.

So yes, you and I, we plan out our life. That is true, but equally true. God absolutely, in the child of God, is there with he or her in directing those plans and purposes. Do you believe that? And has that been received in your heart to fully revolutionize how you look at life? You know, when you begin to look into this topic, the doctrine of providence, what you will find is that it absolutely is the melody which plays throughout all of Scripture. And once you begin to look for it, you will hear it just sung as a hymn, if you will, throughout all the Bible.

And when you've received this truth and believed it, you will find that the doctrine of providence that you'll begin to hear this sung every day of your life. It'll be the melody that you're just not able to get out of your head. I don't know if you've ever heard a song. The song that gets stuck in my head every so often is sung by one known by the name Justin Bieber. And he has this song called Baby, Baby. How many of you heard this? Baby. Well, now it's in your head.

Likewise—that's a horrible transition there—likewise, the hymn of God's providential care in our life, once you hear it, it'll be like a song that you just can't get out of your head. And once this really came home to me, what I find myself doing daily is something will occur. Let's say it's something positive in my life, and I'll say, well, I'll talk to God, and I'll say, well, God, that's wonderful. Thank you so much for working that out in that way. You know, I don't even know if I could have even dreamed it would have worked out so well—that particular circumstance in my life. Thank you for that. Or I find myself when something doesn't go quite right. I'll talk to God in my prayers, and I'll say, well, that was horrible, you know. I would have not planned it that way by any means, but you know, God, I know you're here with me. You're directing my steps as I make my plans. So while this is confusing, I will wait to see what comes out of this. I'll be curious to see where this is going, Father. And again, it is the daily melody of providence that you'll be hearing all day long, and that is what changes your perspective fundamentally, and it will fundamentally change how you look at life and how you make your plans. So our goal today is to look at this doctrine, to look at this truth, and break it up into two parts. First half of the message, we're really just going to rest in building a foundation for the definition of it. What is it? What is this doctrine of providence? What are the different facets of it? Really set a good foundation. That'll be the first half. Second half, we're going to take a look at one of the heroes of Scripture, where we see the providence of God play out in His life, and our sermonette gave us a little introduction to that as well. So we'll be able to see the providence of God played out in the life of a remarkable individual.

But first, let's build an understanding. What is the providence of God?

In beginning to build a definition, you will find there's probably different ways that you can describe it. Let me give it to you a definition in three parts, and I think this will be most helpful to break it up in this way. The providence of God points to the fact that, number one, God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. Okay, that's number one. God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything.

Do you believe that?

All right, here's a second part to a definition. Number two, in defining the providence of God, number two, nothing happens except through him and by his will. That's number two. Nothing happens. Nothing except through him and by his will.

Okay, so creator, sustainer, everything and everyone, nothing happens except through him and by his will. Wait, there's one more piece that I'd like to give you in defining the providence of God. Here's number three. Number three, with regards to defining the providence of God, number three, God directs all things to their appointed end without infringing upon the free will of man. I'll give that to you again. Now, the third aspect of defining the providence of God, God directs all things to their appointed end, all without infringing upon the free will of man.

Now, in parentheses, if you'd like to add that the all would include successes and failures, right?

When we're defining the providence of God and we say all things to their appointed end, we mean all things. That means all of it is wrapped up in the successes and the failures. God is directing it all to an appointed end without infringing upon the free will of man. So God is the creator, sustainer of everyone and everything. Nothing happens except through him and by his will. And God is directing all things, successes and failures, to their appointed end without infringing upon the free will of man. All right, incredible to think about and to ponder upon those three aspects. And once believing and accepting this truth, you will find that in everyday events of life, as you are devising your plans, God himself is directing your steps. Remarkable and doing it all without infringing upon our free will.

So we're talking about God the Father, Jesus Christ, for their daughter or son. They are personally, thoughtfully, purposefully, so personally and purposefully, directing the free will acts of people as they devise their way. So in their providential care, they're directing the free acts of people as they devise their way. Do you believe this? And so, as you can hear, you know, when you begin to get to the very heart of this doctrine, you fully realize there's really nothing vague in this at all, is there? It seems so unbelievable to state these things as considering the exercise of God's providential care and his providential control.

Nothing happens except through him and by his will. You know, and when I'm developing this message, at first, it's almost as if I want to recoil from some of this. You know, it's just so hard to really put your mind around the fact that God is that much intimately involved in my life.

But he is! And if you believe it, it'll change everything. It'll change everything in your life. So I want to challenge you today to begin to think. Begin to think, how does this change your life?

You know, I want you to ponder this. How would that truth, how should that truth change my life today?

How does that change how I plan? How does that change how I make my goals in life? That's a good question. Maybe you could ponder, okay, if God is directing my steps in such an intimate way, what part do I play in this? That's a good question, right? What's my part? With God's providential control, what's my responsibility? Okay, if God is directing my steps to an appointed end, how might I unintentionally alter, delay, or even prevent him from directing me where to go, where he wants me to go? Okay, again, God's this intimately involved in moving me to an appointed end, where he plans for me to be toward this end, how might I unintentionally or unknowingly, or maybe even willingly in our humanity, alter, delay, or even prevent him from directing my steps to that appointed end?

Good question, right? Perhaps another question that flows from this doctrinal truth. How does this change my prayer life? Okay, boy, what? Okay, God is directing my steps to an appointed end. What should I pray for? How should I pray now? I know he wants me to reveal to him my desires, but how might this knowledge then of God's providential care, how might it alter how I think about or what I might request or how I might request desires from my heart?

So you see all the natural consequences or thoughts to ponder that flow from this, and there's probably more and more questions than I want you to think about there when you think about the essence of God's providential care. And as we think about this defining and resting in God's providence and the truth of it, we can be further helped by turning to a passage of Scripture which reveals more knowledge of God's providence to us and in defining it in our lives. And I want to turn you there now. It's found in a particular psalm, and the psalm it's found in is Psalm 139. So if you'd like to turn there now, Psalm 139, what we find here in this psalm is David is singing this melodic song of God's providence. And it's beautiful and it's all inspiring as David reaches into this moment to find the depths of knowledge of God's providential care and his control in our life. So in helping us define and really set a good foundation for ourselves, let's allow David to sing a song of providence to us here in this psalm. Psalm 139, as David begins here, we could say that verses 1 through 12, it really is going to reveal just how intimately God's involvement is in our daily lives and his intimate relationship with us. Psalm 39 verse 1, David sings these words, these words, where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, and what that is is the grave. If I make my bed even in the grave, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hands shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be alight about me. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you, but the night shines as the day and the darkness and the light are both alike to you. Let's just stop there for a moment. So you see, David just, he's almost reaching for the words. He can't even find them. It's like, even if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts, I'm grasping for the words he says, but you're still there. Do you believe that God is this intimately involved in your life? Continuing, verse 13 through 16, did you believe that and know that God was involved providentially, even down to your DNA?

Verses 13 through 16. For you formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother's womb. I will sing, I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works, that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you. When I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. Let's just stop there for a moment. So even before we were, God knew us and saw us. You see how this can change your life? You see how this can change your life?

Verse 17 and 18. Did you know that God bestows to you thoughts?

Thoughts throughout the minute, throughout the day? Verse 17 and 18. How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God? How great is the sum of them? If I should count them, that's the thoughts that God gives to us, they would be more in number than the sand.

When I awake, I'm still with you. So do you believe that God is speaking to you through the thoughts that he gives you throughout the day? There are so many in your lifetime, you can't even number them. It's like trying to number grains of sand.

Sometimes I'll have these unusual thoughts with God, these conversations. I'll have some thoughts come to me. I'll even think to myself, is that myself talking to myself? Is that just because it's kind of in my own head voice, right? Is this you, God, or is this me just talking to myself? I quickly got to pull my thoughts to Psalm 139. No, that is God, and he's giving me these thoughts. Am I listening? Am I listening? Okay, you're in trouble. God is there, and he's going to providentially protect you. Verse 19 through 22 here. Oh, that you would slay the wicked, O God.

Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men, for they speak against you, God, wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate you? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with a perfect hatred, and I count them as enemies.

So David was so in one with God that any persecution that came, they're persecuting God, they're persecuting him. If they're persecuting him, they're persecuting God. That's how in one, in one step, in lockstep, David was with God. Are you that one with God daily and know that he's with you in that intimacy? Finishing out here, verse 23 through 24, God is providentially molding us to our destiny. Verse 23 and 24, David finishes this hymn, and he says this thought, and he says, Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my anxieties, and see if there's any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. So God's final directing of our steps is to the way everlasting. So this is remarkable. So one of the fundamental changes that occurs once you grab a hold of this providential doctrine, this doctrine of providence, is that very prayer. God, as I know you want to lead me to everlasting, please search me. I don't want to do anything. I don't want to act in any way that will prevent, delay, or alter where you want to take me, and I know where you want to take me as everlasting.

So search me. I want to go where you're directing me with my as I devise my plans. You see, the UCG commentary—UCG has commentary over all the Old Testament. I highly recommend it. This is just a few quotes from our UCG commentary found at UCG.org about this Psalm. Quote, God has searched within David, and in his life knows everything there is to know about him.

He carefully investigates every facet of David's life to discern all his actions from when he gets up in the morning to when he goes to bed at night. God is thus familiar with David's patterns, habits, preferences, and the ways of doing things. Moreover, God looks deeply into David's heart to discern his inner motives and secret thoughts. In fact, God knows David so well that he anticipates his words before they are spoken. God has an exhaustive knowledge of David just as he has of us. In beginning the Psalm, Psalm 139, verse 3, he says, you comprehend my path. In other words, another interpretation, you sift my path. The idea is apparently that God sifts through all of our actions so as to discover every detail about them and what motivated them and what effect they had upon us and others.

In fact, everything conceivable about them. Yet the purpose of God's intimate knowledge of his servants is made plain. God's intention is to protect and to guard us and to keep us and hold us and to guide us as the objects of his care. In the latter part of verse 16, continuing the quote here from ucg.org, David says all the days were prepared for him and written into God's book before these days commenced.

What does this mean? Some would use this verse to argue that every day of David's life was completely mapped out in advance, but to argue that, however, violates the principle of free will and choice, which we see repeatedly in Scripture. But we notice that David uses a metaphor of a book to portray God's exquisitely detailed plans, his plans, for each person, the plans he has in mind before each person's birth.

So, while elements of David's life seem to have been plotted out by God ahead of time, God always allows the free will of David to determine whether he's going to serve or reject him and thereby complete the process of God's intentions as he wrote in the book. So, I'll just quote. I'll stop there. So, yes, I like that image. God has a book. This is how it is supposed to end for you and I.

Would you—God is, through Scripture, pleading with us—would you allow me to direct your steps in that way, all along the way? Would you take your plans and bring me in with them so as to allow me to direct your steps in this wonderful path to everlasting?

Absolutely awesome. Absolutely awesome.

So, in summarizing this psalm and really the providence of God and the definition of it all, the fact is God wants and it will allow him to have complete control of our life. Absolutely. All the days of our life. And this is a tremendous encouragement as we understand he's with us through it all.

And I'll make this analogy a few more—maybe one more time in the sermon today—but it's kind of like a piece of a puzzle, right? We're slowly, with each season of our life, adding a new piece to the puzzle. And as the pieces begin to build up, we'll begin to more and more see the picture that's emerging, the beautiful picture of everlasting. But we might not get the full picture, but we won't get the full picture until the end, until we turn that last page of the book, right?

And see how it all concludes. So that is the definition, the foundation for us to now rest upon regarding God's providential power, his control, his care. Now, to help us even further, what I would like to do now is to turn to Scripture and see everything that we just spoke about play out in a wonderful way in the life of one of God's most beloved children in Scripture. What I'd like to do is to look at God's providential plan as it is laid out in the life of Joseph. We turn there in the sermonette as a wonderful compliment. Let's turn there again, Genesis 37. Genesis 37. And we'll begin reading in verse 2.

Genesis 37, we'll begin in verse 2, where we see perhaps one of the most clear revealing of God's providential care. What we're going to look at really could be described as two bookends of Joseph's life.

The first bookend begins when Joseph is 17, and he's revealed and given, providentially given, two dreams by God. In the dream, it discloses that Joseph's brothers are going to bow down to him as Joseph will be exalted. Then we're going to see some 22 years later, the other bookend of God's providential plan in Joseph's life, where we see those brothers bowing down to him. 22 years later, the providential plan comes to fruition. Well, let's begin reading here. We're going to begin reading Genesis 37. Let's start at the second half of verse 2 here, beginning God's providential work in young Joseph at the age of 17. Genesis 37, breaking into the thought of verse 2. Joseph, being 17 years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers, and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and Joseph brought a bad report of his brothers to his father. Verse 3, now Israel, also this is Joseph's father, also known as Jacob, Israel or Jacob, loved Joseph more than all his children because Joseph was the son of his old age. Also, Jacob made him a tunic of many colors, but when his brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Now, Joseph had a dream, and he took it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. So, Joseph said to them, Please hear this dream which I've dreamed. Please hear this dream which I've dreamed. There we were, there we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then, behold, my sheaf, Joseph says, arose and also stood upright, and indeed your sheaves, dear brothers, stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf. And his brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us? So, they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then, verse 9, he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers and said, Look, I've dreamed another dream, and this time you won't believe it. The sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me. So, he told it to his father and his brothers, and his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come and bow down to the earth before you?

And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in his mind. I'll stop there. So, this is the beginning of Joseph's providential story. It's the one bookend. Here, he had this dream for telling the fact that his brothers would bow down to him. Right? Again, now some 22 years later, turn to chapter 42, verses 5 through 7. Chapters 42, verses 5 through 7, we have a famine in the land. Joseph's brothers come to Egypt looking for food, and now 22 years later, they find Joseph exalted to the second in command of Egypt, and the brothers, not recognizing Joseph at first, they didn't recognize him, come to this wonderful providential fulfillment. Genesis 42, beginning in verse 5, So the sons of Israel joined those who were coming to buy grain, for there was no food in Canaan. Joseph was the ruler of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And here it is. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him. Let's stop there. So in turning back, if you'll come back with me to Genesis 37 here, we have the bookends, right? This is God's providential declaration to Joseph, stamped, signed, delivered here. But if you go back to Genesis 37, and you consider all that happened in the 22 years, we see the beginning here of just an unbelievable saga of events here.

Let me just give you a brief summary, a little bit what we heard in the sermonette, of the ups and downs of God's providential care in this providential story from God to Joseph. Joseph was up. He was favored by his father, right? The father gave him a coat of many colors. Okay, all right. Did God cause Jacob to favor Joseph and give him a coat?

Did God make Jacob do that? No. Jacob just favored Joseph. Why did he favor Joseph? Well, the reason is, if anyone is older in age, and you have a baby come in your older age, as it says, there's a particular affinity that comes with that, of course. Joseph was the child of Jacob and Rachel. Rachel was a particular love of Jacob, right? Perhaps that's some of the reasons, but you know, Jacob, just in his free will, had favor of Joseph and gave him a gift of a coat.

So, what did we say earlier? God the Father and Jesus Christ, they are daily exercising their providential control and care, directing the free acts of their people as those people devise their way, right? Now, God did providentially come in and give the dreams to Joseph, right? Yeah, we can absolutely say that. That was kind of a direct act of God. So, God does, as he's directing steps, does act more forwardly and also then acts more subtly at other times.

Did God cause Joseph to tell the dreams? Well, no. Joseph was just in his own free will. Perhaps Joseph had a little pride, you know? You won't believe it, brothers. I've got to tell you this story. There we were. What a storyteller, you know, as he was wearing his fancy jacket. So, God perhaps was working providentially in Joseph's life and needing to chip away at some of the pride in Joseph as God was directing him to fulfill the storybook that he had written and had intentions for Joseph. But Joseph was acting out of his own free will.

So, while Joseph was up being favored by his father, soon he would be down as the brothers sold him into slavery. Go forward to Genesis 37 and look at verses 23 through 28.

So, after this, the jealousy welled up into the brothers. Genesis 37 verse 23.

So, it came to pass when Joseph had come to his brothers. They stripped Joseph of that tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. He's still wearing it around, you know? Perhaps he could have just worn it once, you know, or perhaps just hung it up. Just, you know, be gracious for the gift. Verse 24. Then they took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted up their eyes and looked. And there was a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and mirth on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him over to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother in our flesh. And the brothers listened. Then many a night traitors passed by. So the brothers pulled Joseph up, lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver, and they took Joseph to Egypt. All right. Did God cause the jealousy in the brother's heart? No, they're just in their free will. They were giving themselves over to the ugly emotion of jealousy, thereby creating hatred to the point of being able to almost kill their brother, but in the end just sell him here. All right. All right. He was dumped into the pit. He's now taken to Egypt. So the means for him to get to Egypt, to rise to second in command, is from the free will acts of these Midianite traitors.

Again, as you begin to think about this providential care, it'll just... your mind will begin to expand, almost to explode, which to think about all the ways in which God is providentially caring and in control of Joseph's life, all without impinging upon the free will here. So Joseph was down. He's up again. Genesis 39 verse 1 through 6.

Genesis 39 verse 1 through 6.

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, and Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. Verse 2, and the Lord was with Joseph, and he, Joseph, was a successful man, and he was in the house of the master of the Egyptian.

Verse 3, get this, and his master saw that the Lord was with him, was with Joseph, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

So Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had was put under his authority. So it was from that time he made Joseph overseer of his house and all that he had, and the Lord blessed the Egyptians' house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Let's stop there. Okay, so six verses here. We really see the ebb and flow of God's providential care coming forward or responding to the circumstances here.

So interesting here. Because Joseph no doubt brought God along with him in his plans and purposes, Joseph in his free will invited God along with him. It allowed, then, verse 3, the Master to see that the Lord was with Joseph. Right? That's amazing to think about.

And through the Master seeing the Lord was with Joseph, it allowed God to providentially give Joseph favor in Potiphar's eyes, you see, contributing or allowing the directing that God had in mind. So one of the initial questions we asked was, what's my responsibility in this? Here it is. Here it is. As you bring God along with you and devising your plans, others will see God in you, and that will naturally, what will come from that is a natural favoring of others to you. I am telling you, I have seen this over and over again, when a son or daughter of God go into a workplace or go into a school, you will see those environments naturally be blessed just by the son or daughter bringing God with them into this environment. And this was what was occurring here. So just by you bringing God along with you, you are doing a tremendous work for God. That fact alone. So sometimes you think, you know, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what my purpose is. This is it. Overarching, bring God with you wherever you go, and you will make an impact in this society. Period. And you will allow him to do that work. And in it all, direct you to the conclusion of everlasting in the family with God.

So Joseph was up. Well, okay, now Joseph is down again. Staying in verse 39, verse 6 through 9, here we have Potiphar's wife making immoral advances upon Joseph. Chapter 39, verse 6. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance, and it came to pass after these things that the master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said to his master's wife, Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me, but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? You see. So this is just like David. Joseph was so one with God, even this immoral advance. It was almost as if this was occurring with him and God. There's so one with each other. How could I do this and do the wickedness with God who's with me? You see, they're one and the same here.

Wonderful perspective here. This is your responsibility. And again, once you believe and once you take this providential truth inside in your heart, you'll begin to better resist those circumstances where if they could, they would cause you to get off the path that God has you on. You'll be able to easier recognize and easier repel those things which are adverse to where God wants to take you when you have this perspective. So Joseph brought God along with him. So here he is down.

Again, though, God was with him. Joseph grabbed on to that truth for your notes. Very well-known scripture. Romans 8, 28. Here it is, being lived out. All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

So in a mind-blowing way, even the immoral advances from Potiphar's wife actually contribute to the all things working together for good if I continue to love God and stay on that path. Even that contributes to me achieving where God wants me to go if I respond to it in the right way. So Joseph does the right thing, but God still is with me.

It's with us in the successes and failures. So Joseph is down again, verses 19 and 20. Here, so it was, when his master heard the words which the wife spoke to him, she told a tall tale and didn't tell him the truth, saying, your servant did this to me in this manner that Potiphar's anger was aroused. Joseph's master took him, put him down in the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were combined, and he was there in prison. So he still did the right thing and he's still down. God's still with you when you're making the right choices. Sometimes he will allow you to be persecuted unjustly. Sometimes in God's providential care, he will allow you to be persecuted unjustly. In fact, it's one of the stamps that you are one of God's own because that's what occurred with Jesus Christ, right? Ultimately persecuted unjustly. It's very core of our life. Expect it. Respond in the right way, right? God hasn't left you.

Well, to kind of really fast forward here, beginning in chapter 40, Joseph is put down once again into the pit, although now he's put down with the king's butler and baker. The butler and baker have a dream. Joseph interprets it correctly.

The interpretations are such where Joseph interprets the butler will be exalted again, but the baker will lose his head. Not good news for the baker, but chapter 40, verse 20 through 23, chapter 40 verses 20 through 23, it came to pass that on the third day, which was Faber's birthday, he made a great feast for all of his servants, and Pharaoh lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. Those were the two that were with Joseph. Then he restored the chief butler to his butler ship again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. So he became the cupbearer. But he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had interpreted them.

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. So along this story, Joseph said, I'm going to interpret these dreams for you. Would you remember me when you're out? But the butler did not remember him for two years. For two years.

But, so he's down, but it so happened after two years, chapter 41 through chapter 41, 14 through 16, chapter 41, 14 through 16. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him out quickly to the of the Junjin, and shaved and changed his clothes and came to Pharaoh.

I failed to tell you one part. When the butler came out, he chose a certain opportunity that when Pharaoh had a dream, he recommended Joseph to interpret Pharaoh's dream. So chapter 14, the chief butler recalled that two years earlier, Joseph had interpreted his dream accurately, and the chief butler told Pharaoh about it when Pharaoh had a dream that needed to be interpreted. So verse 14 again, then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him out quickly out of the dungeon. Pharaoh shaved and changed his clothes, and Joseph came to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, and there's no one that can interpret it, but I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream and interpret it. So Joseph answered Pharaoh, so Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, well, it's not in me. God will give Pharaoh the answer of peace. Okay, so Joseph still, even though he's forgotten for two years, knows God is still with him. And then going down to verses 37 through 41. So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, the dream interpretation, and in the eyes of all of his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is none one as discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over, telling to Joseph, over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said, Joseph, see, I have sent you over all the land of Egypt. So here is Joseph, up, way up, we could say, as Pharaoh was so impressed by Joseph, interpreting his dream correctly, he appoints him ruler over all of Egypt. Taking us to the point, then, in understanding getting to the end of this providential bookend here, where Joseph is now in a place and positioned, now some 22 years later, to find himself in Genesis 45 verses 4 through 5 here, standing before his brothers. The famine had brought the brothers to Joseph, now second in command, 22 years later, where we find now in Genesis 45 verses 4 through 5, Joseph understanding the depths of God's providential care in his life. And he looks to now put it into words. To put it into words. Genesis 45 beginning in verse 4. So there they are, the brothers before him. And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they came near. Then he said to them, I am Joseph, your brother. So let's just stop there for a moment. Stand up, come near. He's now revealing that he's Joseph. I am Joseph, your brother, continuing. Whom you sold into Egypt, verse 5, but now do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. Verse 4, you sold me. That is true. Under your own free will, you did that. You gave into jealousy and envy. I had my part in it. I was prideful as a 17-year-old. You sold me, but I'll have you know, brothers.

In it all and ultimately, God sent me. God sent me. And if that's not profound for you enough, go down to verse 8. Look at the fullness, the grasp that Joseph grabbed on to here, and what we need to grab on today. Verse 8, Joseph continues, So now it was not you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of his house, and ruler throughout all of the land of Egypt. What a perspective here. It's almost as if Joseph said, You know what? Actually, it wasn't even you. In fact, you didn't even have a part in this at all. He's just trying to grasp for the words to somehow conjure up the right way to say that God was providentially in control and care of his life all along the way, those 22 years. It wasn't even you who sent me here, but it was God. That just gave me chills there.

And then, if that's not enough, go forward to chapter 50 here, verses 19 through 20. It's like the fullness of God's providence in his life is just emerging from him. Chapter 50, verses 19 through 20. And Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

But as for you, you meant evil against me, right? You know, God's providence doesn't relieve you from the consequences of your actions. You did that. But as for you, you meant it for evil against me. But in it all, brothers, God meant it for good in order to bring about as it is this day to save many people alive. Incredible here. Incredible.

You know, you don't even have to be afraid, brothers.

Yes, you had these actions. God wants you to repent. God's grace will be there for you. I had my own part in this, in it all. But what's the most remarkable thing about God? In it all. He means it for good. He means it for good in my life. He means it for good, ultimately, in your life, brothers. If you'll respond now in the proper way, He can turn this.

He can turn that fear and that regret into good in the end. This that I have had is available to you, too. And it's available to all of us today.

And so, Joseph's providential story ends here.

And it's the story of Joseph. And ultimately, it's our story, right?

And we can say again, I wanted to mention this, as we go along in God's providential directing of our steps, there are these little pieces of the puzzle that are being put in place along the way.

But just know, sometimes it's very difficult to interpret always what God is doing when just looking at the pieces, right? So don't feel angst or anxiety or fear. Just in looking at the pieces, it's kind of an incomplete picture, right? Sometimes we don't know.

But just feel the warmth and comfort of God's providential love and care in your life. And you know there's going to be more pieces added to that puzzle. And in the end, you're going to see the completion of it. And it's going to be beautiful.

And just look at your part. So I want to add to those pieces. So I'm going to do my part to allow God to accomplish and to finish that puzzle, right?

It's difficult to know how God may be using disappointments, delays, elevations, encouragement. It's difficult to know how he's going to fit all these pieces together. But just know that God's here with you.

And all the pieces in the end will work according to God's end. All of it. All of it will be a profitable for good if we'll allow it.

I mean, I'll just give you some thoughts to think about later on today.

What if Joseph wasn't good looking? Okay. What if Joseph didn't have high cheekbones and blue eyes? You know, whatever it is. Yes.

Then Potiphar's wife would likely not... She wouldn't have made him the object of her seductive eyes, right?

But we know from Psalm 139, God's even involved in our DNA. He's even involved in your high cheekbones and your broad shoulders. I'm a serious man.

So in that, whatever providential gift God has given you, you're never going to take it for your own purposes. You're always going to use that to glorify God. So if Joseph was an attractive person, if he attracted people, he's not going to use that for his own purposes and his own desires. No, he's going to use that to fulfill God's purposes, right? Because everything's a gift. Everything's a gift from God. So we're going to use it to glorify him. He's part of our journey.

So he would never use it in a way that was self-appeasing here.

Just it goes on and on. What if Joseph hadn't ended up back in jail because he rejected Potiphar's wife, allowing him to meet the butler who, in the right time, had the occasion to refer him to Pharaoh, which in turn set him over all of Egypt. You know, think of all that had to happen to lead him to the pit, from the pit to the pinnacle.

So in the end, we discover in various ways, that God's providential overruling was occurring in his life.

Remarkably, Joseph was able to get through the ups and downs without allowing bitterness or resentment to come in, without rejecting God and going out on his own.

Joseph was able to navigate the ups and downs to allow God to take him to that appointed end. So as we conclude, let me ask, let me ask, do you believe?

Do you believe that God is providentially working in your life today?

Perhaps you're going through some difficult circumstances. Don't give up. Just know God is still with you. And just like Joseph, perhaps one day you'll be able to look back in the corridor of time and reflect upon all the times God's providential care was there. Believe, believe that God will turn all things into good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. May we always bring God along with us in our plans. May we believe that God is with us in the ups and downs. May we lay a hold of, in a greater way, this wonderful truth of God's providence. For this is God's wonderful providential care of us.