This doctrine is a very important one! Know that all doctrine is life. When they do not connect with life and reflect in life then they are just doctrines an dead orthodoxy. They MUST have impact and be reflective in our lives as they talk about you and me and the truth of how God deals with us His people! And then when life takes a hold of us and we are in the middle of the storm this is the one thing that will see us through!

What: The truth of this Word of God is clearly defined for us in this catechism Lord's day. "Almighty and everlasting present power of God whereby He upholds heaven, earth, and all creatures and governs them not by chance but by His Fatherly hand." It is the executing of His plan. The work of God who by His external knowledge executes His very plan. That is what providence is. We confess this even as we confess creation and in the SAME exact faith! The same God that created all things continues to uphold ALL things. We are not deistic and believe that God creates things and then lets them go. He upholds, He directs, He governs ALL THINGS down to the minute including you and me!

Extent: Isaiah faces this question. "Is there anything that God has not done?" A father guides his child and a child can clasp their father's hand. He guides ALL things to His good purpose. Like an insurance policy we want to know what it covers and also the exclusions....but providence has NO exclusions and it encompasses ALL THINGS! This is important because sometimes it does not seem that way to us. Joseph had said "all these things are against me." Sometimes we lose little ones or things of importance's to us, but all these things are for us! Though like Asah we feel like a dish rag that God has wrung everything out of. But he says if he speaks that way he gainsays everything God has spoken. Truly God is with and good to Israel...always! Because He leads me to take me to glory. Nothing in this life is by chance and there are no accidents though we talk about them all the time that way. Roll the dice, discuss probabilities, but the Lord CONTROLS them ALL! He gives sorrow and joy, life and death, riches and poverty. ALL OF GOD!

Comfort: All things wherever we are touched by God are done because He loves us. We know how to give good things to our children but we are limited. But God is not and we can trust Him implicitly and nothing no nothing can come that will harms us. He knows the end and will bring us there and we can be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and completely trust in GOD!