DIVINE PROVIDENCE - From the Conversations and Homilies of Elder Paisios.

DIVINE PROVIDENCE

From the Conversations and Homilies of Elder Paisios.

Our duty and concern must be how to please God and our fellow men; we should not be preoccupied with our needs, as God will take care of them. There is a silent spiritual agreement between God and man. He will look after us, while we will concentrate on how to live our lives according to His will. Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you. (1 Pet 5:7).

One day, Mr. I.F. visited me from Germany. He had just completed a study for the construction of a fish pound in Komotini (a city in Northern Greece), and asked me to pray that he get the state’s approval for it. I asked him out of curiosity to tell me about the method of the fishes’ reproduction and their growth in the fish pound. He replied:

-The small fishes, Father, when they are born have a small sack in their abdomen called “lecithin utricle.” The sack contains all the vitamins and necessary substances for the fishes’ self-preservation during the first crucial days of their life. By the time the sack empties, the abdomen of the small fishes has grown enough to be able to take in food from the sea.

When I heard this I was deeply moved. During that time, I was in a state of constantly glorifying God and this became one more reason for me to be doing so. I thought to myself: God is so kind that although He created the small fishes for us to eat, He takes care of them in such a wise way, that they can fearlessly grow up. Yet, we are so miserable, that we get distressed and do not trust everything in Him. This is terrible! God looks after the tiniest detail of the smallest of His creatures. How much more He cares for us, His own images, for whom He did everything! Since we are blind, however, we are unable to see His providence which covers every aspect of our life.

Providence is the care that comes from God. Everything which is done with God’s providence is done in the best possible way, that is, in a godly manner. The fact that God takes careindeed very good care-of mankind could very well result from the following logical reasoning:

God is kind; therefore, He takes care and looks after His children (for the one who doesn’t provide care is considered evil). Since God is also omniscient, He demonstrates His providence for the whole creation in the most perfect way. When we witness and examine the acts of God’s providence, we admire His kindness. We must glorify Him and accept all the acts of divine providence without questioning them, even if sometimes they seem unjust or incomprehensible to us.

Vol. 12, Issue 09-10 Orthodox - Heritage, 

http://apantaortodoxias.blogspot.gr/2014/12/divine-providence-from-conversations.html