Beloved,
Below you will find a family worship devotion for question 8 of the Shorter Catechism. Praise the Lord for the wisdom and power displayed in the execution of His eternal plan in creation and providence!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Nick
Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Read
Psalm 148:7–8; Daniel 4:35; Revelation 4:11
Reflect
Before a skyscraper is built, it must first be designed by a team of engineers and architects. These skilled men and women sketch detailed plans of what the building will look like, how deep its foundation will be, and what materials it will be made of. Before construction can begin, detailed blueprints have to be drawn up and approved. Attempting to execute a building project of this magnitude without a precise plan would result in disaster.
Now, imagine that instead of a skyscraper, a plan was being drafted to construct the entire Earth—and not just the Earth, but the entire universe, with its billions of galaxies. Such a project would require quite an architect and engineer!
That is precisely who God reveals Himself to be. Before time began, He drew up the plan for all of creation, which we’ve learned is called God’s decree. Some people believe that the world was not created by God but is instead a random accident. These individuals are called atheists, denying the existence of a Creator. But one look at the breathtaking beauty of a sunrise, or the astounding complexity of the human body, reveals a world designed by someone infinite in wisdom and power. Having drawn up the blueprint for the universe in eternity past, God executed it in time as He created all things in the space of six days.
Some people agree that God created everything but claim that, after doing so, He left the world to run on its own according to natural laws. These people are called deists. They liken God to a watchmaker who crafts a watch, winds it up, and then lets it run by itself. But God didn’t just draw up the plan for creating all things; He also planned how all things would be preserved and ordered until the end of history. From the very first moment of creation, God has been active in time and space, working out His sovereign will. This ongoing work is called God’s providence.
Unlike the false god of deism who abandons creation, the true God loves His creation—especially the humans He made in His image. He desires relationship with us and rules over our lives in such a way that not even a hair can fall from our heads outside of His perfect plan. Every breath we breathe, every drop of rain that pitter-patters against the window, every human decision made in high and low places, every pain, and every pleasure—all of it is brought about as God executes His decree through providence.
- How is God like an architect or engineer?
- What is an atheist? Why shouldn’t we be one?
- What is a deist? Why shouldn’t we be one?