W1 | Trusting In God’s Providence

18 Aug W1 | Trusting In God’s Providence

Posted at 10:40h in September, Topics 2025 by FUSE Jakarta

REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES

2 Kings 4:8-37 | So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” (ESV)

OBJECTIVE

To learn to trust that God is actively guiding, sustaining, and directing all things—even when His hand seems hidden or silent in our lives.

CONTENT

GOD’S PERMISSIVE PROVIDENCE

The term permissive refers to allowing a certain degree of freedom—while providence speaks of God’s protective care and sovereign guidance. Together, God’s permissive providence describes His divine allowance of events, including trials and even evil, without being their direct cause. It’s a profound expression of His wisdom, power, and love working beyond what we can immediately see.
In our pursuit of godly excellence, we often encounter seasons of hardship or silence—moments where we feel as though we are striving alone. In today’s fast-paced world, we can easily fall into the trap of relying solely on our strength, forgetting that true victory comes from depending on God.
But if God truly loves us, why would He allow these hardships? A simple illustration can help. Just as a loving parent lets their child learn to walk, knowing the child will fall in the process, God allows us to experience trials—not to harm us, but to help us grow. Through those “falls,” we learn resilience, faith, and the depth of His sustaining presence.
God’s permissive providence invites us to remember that He is always present—even when silent—and that He is forming us for something greater than we can see in the moment.

THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN (2 KINGS 4:8-37)

Initial Blessing & Natural Hesitation
In verses 11–16, Elisha offers the barren Shunammite woman a promise from God: that she would have a son. Her response is marked by fear and hesitation. She begs Elisha not to raise her hopes—perhaps because past disappointments made her wary of believing again. This response is deeply human. We often struggle to hope again after seasons of unanswered prayers. The fear of disappointment can lead us to lower our expectations, even of God.
God's Unexpected Fulfillment
Despite her doubts, verse 17 reveals that she did conceive. Sometimes, even the blessings we’re afraid to hope for become reality when they are part of God’s plan. As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
A Crushing Setback
Verses 20–28 describe a sudden and devastating twist: the long-awaited son dies. This tragedy seems to validate her initial fears—“Why give me this child only to take him away?” Many believers can relate. We’ve seen doors open, only to slam shut. We've tasted breakthrough, only to face heartbreak. The question arises: Why would God give me this dream, only to take it away?
Yet, instead of collapsing in despair, the woman goes back to Elisha. Her calm, guarded response at first—“All is well”—hints at deep trust. She did not lash out. She approached God’s representative with faith, even in her grief
The Restoration
Through Faith In verses 35–37, Elisha persistently prays until the boy is revived. God restores what was lost. The impossible becomes possible—not through human effort, but through divine intervention and the faith of a man who knew God's power. This moment is a clear display of God's providence. While things seemed to fall apart, they were never out of God’s hands. His timing and purposes prevailed. As Proverbs 19:21 states: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

CONCLUSION

Like her, we often wrestle with doubt, fear, and pain. But her story reminds us of several truths:

- God allows hardship—not to break us, but to build us.
- His silence is not absence; His delays are not denials.
- Faith means trusting Him even when the outcome is unclear.
- Sometimes, pain is the pathway to a deeper experience of God’s goodness and power.

Had the child not died and been restored, the woman—and we—might not have seen God’s glory so vividly. His permissive providence is often the very tool He uses to draw us closer, build our faith, and reveal His greater plans.

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

REFERENCES