This last year has been a year of chaos, confusion, and conflict. This long season has left many Christians tired and weary. If an individual only had their ears open to the world, they would soon think that everything was out of control. However, in these constantly changing times, we have an unchanging God who rules and reigns for the glory of His great name and the good of His people (Rom. 8:28). Christians must be firmly rooted in the doctrine of God’s providence.
For this reason, I would recommend the following book to you: Providence, by John Piper. In 752 pages, Dr. Piper brings his reader through all the facets of God’s providence, which Piper defines as “God’s purposeful sovereignty.” To do this, Piper wonderfully and carefully traces God’s providence—from Genesis to Revelation—to show his reader that:
“God’s purpose is to exalt his glory through the exercise of his grace. His aim is the greatness of his name and the gladness of his undeserving people. That is, his aim is the God-exalting, soul-satisfying praise of the glory of his grace.” (57).
In Providence, Piper divides 45 chapters into three main parts. First, in chapters 1-2, we are given a definition and a difficulty of the doctrine of providence. Second, in chapters 3-14, Piper then expounds the ultimate goal of Providence, surveying in detail Genesis to Revelation. Third, in chapters 15-45, Piper then deals with the nature and extent of Providence. As you read through this work, you will soon notice that this is not John Piper’s thoughts on God’s Providence. Instead, Piper lets the Bible speak. Each page is saturated with texts of Scripture, and the reader is left with a robust treaty on the doctrine of providence.
This book is not some dry, dull, heartless book that will sit on your shelf for years to come. Instead, as you work through this book, you will be left in awe of our glorious and majestic God. So often, as I turned through each page, I found myself leaping for joy and praising God for His glorious grace. With Spurgeon, I can say that “I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes.”[1]
Do you want to learn more about this glorious and majestic God? Well, this book would be a wonderful tool for you to use in your regular Bible readings. Maybe you want to understand a Scripture better! Well, look at the index page at the back of the book. There are thousands of Scripture references. Maybe you want to learn more about God’s providence in a certain area of life? Well, look at the table of contents page and find a topic of interest to read about.
In sum, I recommend this book for men and women of any age. John Piper has given us his magnum opus, which will be a valuable tool on every Christians’ bookshelf for decades to come. Make sure to secure your copy of Providence by John Piper.
[1] Charles Spurgeon, God’s Providence, sermon on Ezek. 1:15-19.
Joshua J. Mills was born and raised in the Greater Toronto area. He is married to his best friend Kyla, has a Masters of Divinity from Toronto Baptist Seminary, and ministers at Trinity Baptist Church and Toronto Baptist Seminary.
