It should be easy by now, after studying several lessons in the Old Testament that proved our Heavenly Father was active in the daily affairs of men during those years, to see how he worked with his people.
In the New Testament we have fewer events to search, but that does not negate the plain statements and promises from our Heavenly Father. Acts 17:24-25—God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
“Giveth” (in the Greek) is a present participle.
A present participle is contemporaneous with the leading verb.
The leading verb in this context is “worshipped,” and it is a present continuous verb.
Therefore, God presently and continuously gives all of us life and breath and all things.
Specifically, this is not some action that happened in the past that has present-day effects. In that case, he would have used a different verb tense that is very specifically for that exact scenario, the perfect active indicative. His does not use it; he uses a present participle with a present active indicative leading verb.
Do we remember to thank him for the blessing of life every day we rise from our beds? Do we ask for life to serve Him in more and better ways every night as we retire?
- Psalms 4:4—Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
- Psalms 63:6—When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Are we thankful for every breath we take or do we forget to pray about it until our breathing is compromised?
Most people I have heard pray are thankful for material things; they seem to believe those are the only blessings God gives, but what about our spiritual blessings? Why not thank him for his precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4)? Why not thank him for the covenant He has made with us (Heb. 9:9-13; Heb. 12:24)? Why not thank him that he has made us Sons of God (1 John 3:1-2)? Do we understand that our faith gives us victory over the world (1 John 5:4)? Why not thank him for revealing the pathway (Matt. 28:19; John 14:6; 1 Pet. 2:21; Phil. 3:17) and the fight we have before us (Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Tim. 6:12)? Why not thank him for showing us what his love is (1 Cor. 13:4-8, 13; 1 John 4:7-8; 1 John 5:3) and all the 40 or more parts of that love? Why not thank him for being one of his called and chosen ones (Matt. 20:16; 1 Cor. 1:26-30)? We should never forget to thank him for the hope of an eternal spiritual body when Christ returns to claim his own (1 Cor. 15:35-58).
There are other statements in the New Testament (all inspired by God’s Holy Spirit), which tell us that our Heavenly Father is active in the affairs of men today. Matthew 5:43-46 is one of those.
Matt. 5:43-47—Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Once again, look at the grammar, both in Greek and English. Both ανατελλει (“makes…to rise”) and βρεχει (“sends rain”) are present active indicative third person singular. These are both present continuous forms. Again, if it were a past action (such as creation) effecting a subsequent or present condition (such as natural forces currently operating independently from God’s agency), he would have used the perfect active indicative, which is specifically designed to describe that kind of circumstance. Instead, he uses present active indicative.
He makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good day in and day out.
In every nation he sends the rain on the just and the unjust.
In contrast, references to the act of creation are always (to the best of my knowledge) in some kind of past tense form, such as the aorist indicative (or an aorist participle that implies prior action), or more rarely the perfect indicative.
Can we believe what he says about himself? Can we believe what he says about how he takes care of us every day? My prayer is that the ones in darkness can see and understand how wonderfully faithful our Father in Heaven really is.
–Beth Johnson