Today I saw God’s providence at work as I used an analogy involving nosebleeds to illustrate an important theological point.
Providence: Defined
The 1689 London Baptist Confession Chapter 5 defines providence in the following way:
1. God the good Creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, to the end for the which they were created, according unto his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will; to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy. ( Hebrews 1:3; Job 38:11; Isaiah 46:10, 11; Psalms 135:6; Matthew 10:29-31; Ephesians 1:11 )
2. Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly; so that there is not anything befalls any by chance, or without his providence; yet by the same providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently. ( Acts 2:23; Proverbs 16:33; Genesis 8:22)
3. God, in his ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at his pleasure. ( Acts 27:31, 44; Isaiah 55:10, 11; Hosea 1:7; Romans 4:19-21; Daniel 3:27 )
It is with the above definition in mind that I share the following story.
Providence: A Phone Call
Mahria and I had just landed after one of our flights home from Los Angeles. A call from one of our daughters soon followed. She was experiencing a nosebleed. She called to seek advice for stopping the bleeding. Directions given included tissue in the affected nostril and gentle pressure applied to the side of the nose from which the blood flowed.
The crisis soon passed. The bleeding stopped.
At the time, I did not know a phone call from our daughter would be part of God’s providence later displayed.
Providence: A Meeting
About a week ago I received an unexpected phone call. The caller was a man I had met on a street corner in my community. The occasion was an afternoon when I was cross-walking. The man saw me standing on the corner with my “Stop and Talk” cross. He decided to stop and talk. After a profitable conversation, the man received a gospel tract, an invitation to church, and my contact information.
I wasn’t available to take the man’s call, so he left a message. I soon texted him and we set up a date and time to meet.
The man had been discipled in the International Church of Christ. Our conversation quickly turned to the topic of baptismal regeneration. I’m not sure how the conversation turned in that direction, but it did. I spent considerable time explaining passages that those who hold to this particular heresy often turn. The conversation never turned adversarial and didn’t take away from the purpose of our meeting. The man wanted to talk to me about marital issues.
Meeting the man on the street all those months ago, hearing from him again, and meeting with him today are examples of God’s providence.
Providence: An Analogy
During the meeting, the man sought my counsel regarding helping his wife to see the sinfulness of some of her behavior. My counsel did not focus on modifying his wife’s behavior, but rather focused on his behavior. However, I did address his wife’s behavior and her alleged refusal to change by way of the following analogy:
“Now I want you to consider this. Let’s say you were experiencing repeated nosebleeds. Every few days, for unknown reasons, your nose would bleed. Each time you place gauze in your nostrils and apply gentle pressure to the bridge of your nose. And each time this stopped the bleeding. Eventually, you decide to go to your doctor. After an examination, your doctor says, ‘The reason your nose keeps bleeding is that you have a golf ball-sized tumor in your nasal cavity. It must be removed.’”
“You thank your doctor for the information. However, you decide to do nothing about the tumor and instead determine to continue to stop the nosebleeds as you have previously done. Is the problem ever going to go away?” I asked.
“No,” he replied.
“That’s right,” I said. “And the same is true about your wife. You’re trying to get her to modify her behavior, but neither of you is dealing with the root cause of the problem. Your wife isn’t saved. You’re expecting her to do things that she does not want to do and is incapable of doing because she is dead in her sin. Until she repents and believes the gospel, she might be able to temporarily modify her behavior from time to time, but the problem is never going to go away. She will continue to be ruled by a heart that loves her sin. At best, you are only putting Band-Aids on mortal wounds.”
I listened to the man brokenheartedly (and without any noticeable malice toward his wife) describe her behavior. God’s providence was displayed in that He allowed me to remember my daughter’s nosebleed and then, seemingly on the fly, incorporate it into an analogy–an analogy the man rightly understood. He understood the necessity to deal with the root of the problem, and not simply address the visible symptoms of the problem. He understood that he couldn’t “fix” his wife. The Lord must cause her to be born-again to a living hope, taking her heart of stone and giving her a heart of flesh.
Thankful for God’s Providence
I share this story for the glory of God. It should be obvious to the reader that this testimony, being true, could not have been orchestrated by man. God’s providential hand is evident throughout this story. I thank God for His providence.
This story isn’t over. I meet with the man again next week.
Your prayers are appreciated.
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