William Perkins was a well-known theologian in the 16th century. He was known for his faithfulness. But it wasn’t always that way. 

When he was younger he had a reputation for recklessness, profanity and public drunkenness. He was also dabbling in black magic and the occult. 

One evening he overheard a mother correcting her child who was misbehaving. You don’t want to grow up and become like “drunken Perkins,” do you?

His reputation was so bad that total strangers were using him as a warning to their wayward children!

It was a key moment in Perkins’ life. He turned to God, repented of his sin, gave up his ungodly interests, and asked God to reform his life. He became a pastor and theologian who made a considerable impact on future generations. He gained a reputation for personal integrity and Christlikeness.*

Think about that key encounter. What are the chances that he would just so happen to overhear that woman using his name to rebuke her naughty child? Was it coincidence or providence?

Providence is the invisible hand of God—guiding, helping and providing for his people. It’s easy to believe in providence when everything is going well. It’s harder to believe in providence when your life feels like it’s in shambles.

And yet, God works.

Psalm 24:1 says: “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…” If everything in the world is the Lord’s, and if all of its people also belong to him, that includes you and the daily battles you face. Perhaps you have made mistakes and your sins have piled up (like William Perkins). Perhaps you are dealing with a hardship that is testing your limits. Or maybe you are simply navigating life with a new level of uncertainty and stress.

Either way, God is not put off by the trenches in his own battle zone.

It’s never too late to bring a problem to God. It’s never too late to ask for forgiveness. It’s never too late to right a wrong. It’s never impossible for him to bring good out of bad.

When things get tough, never lose sight of the fact that you worship and serve a God of providence.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…”

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Notes and extra content:

–“God works in the trenches – Esther, Part 4.” Sermon. March 3, 2024. Click here.

–Pause Alert. After Friday, March 8th The Up Devotional will go on pause for two weeks. I’ll be on vacation for week 1 and then on study leave for week 2. It returns on March 25th during Holy Week. You can find back issues here, or listen as a podcast wherever you subscribe. You can also buy the most book of devotionals called ‘Turbulence’ here.

—*Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson, Meet the Puritans (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2006), 469.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.