Providence in the Darkness
August 30th 2021
How is providence defined? It is defined as the divine guidance or care; God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.
We sit in Australia with all the comforts it shares with us. Great weather, a great living environment, no threat of wars, no fear of persecution, no fear of anything really. But wait…
Our frustrations are mounting. Our fears are being realised through various channels. We are waging war against virus outbreaks, people are standing on the precipice of uncertainty, they are looking into the void and all they see is darkness.
Why am I unable to travel?
Why are my rights being violated?
Why can I not go to Church?
Why are other missions doing better than we are?
Why is this happening, where is God?
Darkness can overcome our reality and send us into a perception that builds expectations that we cannot control. Darkness allows noises to be accentuated beyond their reality. Darkness develops a sense of fear in our steps. Darkness hides truth in deep pockets that no one will reach into on their own. In these moments we may move away from God, not believing in His providence and instead believing in our own ability and destiny to move the ministry forward.
We sometimes forget that God in the Psalms has shared that we do not live-in darkness, but in the shadow.
There is light at the end of this tunnel. His Light is divine guidance and care, guiding us to victory and overcoming our fears.
Our/Your ministry serves to serve, it was created by God in the hearts of men and women who saw the darkness and said it is time to shine. Yes, we may suffer. Yes, we may have difficulties. Yes, we may not meet everyone’s wants. However, we can meet the needs of many through our skills and talents. Through the years of this ministry, we have hit hurdles in our plans through government intervention, wars, illness, sickness, regulatory and rule changes, basically everything that can be thrown at an organisation has and is still.
And yet we trust in His providence, we trust in His direction.
The same goes for each one of us. Sometimes He allows us to see the darkness, to stand on the precipice no matter how dangerous, to remind us and our ministry that what we are doing is making a difference. Go on, really look, notice something. Yes, that’s right, you see it don’t you, a glimmer of light… The void is not as deep as you perceived, the pocket has a shape, and you can reach in because you are not on your own.
Serving in ministry, any ministry, is a purpose-driven vocation. It is where the why becomes the why not, it moves the how to how to, and most of all it allows Jesus room to shine through us, to motivate others to be more and do more for the kingdom of God.
In a nutshell, God is gracing us with the privilege to serve and trust in His providence, no matter how dark it appears to us. He knows the value of you and your mission and the depth of the relationship you have with Him. We must lean into Him, not to comprehend but to trust that He is our guide.
P.S. If the compass starts to spin, stop, recalibrate, read the map. He wrote it and left it on the precipice for us so we can get back on track. God is Good all the time.
Ian McDougall
Ian McDougall is the Chief Executive Officer for MAF Australia Group. A resourcing group that provides Prayer, People and Provision through quality Promotion to Mission Aviation Fellowship International (MAFI).
Ian is from Sydney, Australia married to the beautiful Louise, together we have 3 children and 9 grandchildren. Ian’s passion is to see people become lifelong buddies with Jesus Christ. He loves to see people empowered to be more and do more for the kingdom by building strong relationships that make a difference and assists people to change the ending and live for eternity with the one true God.