When I read John Piper’s book Providence (published in 2021), I remember thinking, “There is no other book like this and never will be.” I loved reading every page of the 752 that make up this book on this attribute of God.
There are plenty of theologians who have material worth reading on the providence of God (e.g., Tozer, Packer, Pink, Grudem), but entire books on one attribute that are “must read’s” are fewer in number.
Well, what was I thinking? What about Stephen Charnock’s book on God’s providence? It’s called Divine Providence and I just began reading this Puritan classic. It has climbed the ladder into my list of Top 5 Best Puritan works.
And while I still may favor Piper’s book to Charnock’s, read Charnock. It’s like an abridged version of Piper’s book (only 279 pages).
Of particular encouragement is Charnock’s explanation of how this attribute of God changes and challenges the Christian life and sanctification. Often, theological textbooks can weigh heavily on the knowledge we accumulate as Christians when we read such books, but these theological texts can fall short of showing the application of God’s attributes to us. This is not one of those books. Charnock talks of how God’s providence addresses our anxieties and worries, fuels our prayers, answers questions about evil, what it means for our trials and sufferings, etc.
It’s a quotable book, and here is just one of many gems that I saved for later – “Envy is a denial of providence. To be envois or sad over the earthly good or gifts or another reflects on the giver of those gifts and accuses providence or unjust or unwise distribution. God is good and may do what he will with his own. In our envy, we trespass on his liberty and deny him the right to distribute his own goods, as if God were our steward and we his lords. … Envy is peculiar the product of self-love and particularly scrutinizes how God chooses to distribute his goods. It dictates that he must give only to those of whom we approve. The attitude arises from our wants, but the implication is clear: God is unjust in his providence to me because he does not give the good things he gives to another. … When we envy the gift and good things others possess, we are really envying God the honor of his providence by which he directs his gifts to those who are his instruments to glorify him and benefit others.”
Happy reading!
Worldly Saints 