GENESIS 50:20

This past week I heard Jack Hughes preach the same sermon three times in three days. I heard it once on Saturday at Grace Christians Churches “Sheepfold Conference” (a pre-shepherds conference, conference at the church), and once at church on Sunday, and once at the Shepherds conference. And you would never guess what the sermon was on: The providence of God. This is something that I’m beginning to understand, although I need to clarify that statement, because I will never understand God’s providence, but in my mind I think I am beginning to understand that God is in control and even then I do not remember that all the time. Jack spoke from Genesis 37-50, the Joseph narrative, and he focused on 50:20, saying how God meant Joseph’s evil brother’s actions for good. In God’s providence, he knew that I needed to hear that sermon three times. Being in South Africa, I am being exposed to a lot of unfortunate and heart breaking situations. It seems like every place I go there is a family with an amazing story. For instance today, in Katlehong, we met two Gogo’s (Zulu word for Granny) and they are taking care of six children because all of the kids parents have died from HIV/AIDS complications. They are taking care of these kids and they are living in shacks. Just shacks with no electricity, no heat, no running water.



It was incredible to see the love and joyous spirit that is within these people. And it is amazing that the government is doing nothing to help these people. The government has this motto, it seems like, and maybe you’ve heard of it, “Out of sight, out of mind.” This is what is going on in the townships. The people that are being affected the most by all of this are the children. The parents can not work, because they are dying of HIV/AIDS, most likely because of the lack of education, because the government is unwilling to admit that AIDS is a problem. Because what you have to understand is that on the death certificate it doesn’t say that the person died from AIDS, it says that the person died from TB, pneumonia, or some other sickness that is intensified because of the weakened or non-existent immune system. And the minister of health is telling stories that if you take a shower after having sex, or eating beet root, that will prevent you from getting HIV. The problem is the absence of education. So the children are being affected because they are running out of caregivers. Their parents generation is all dying and leaving the kids for the grandparents to take care of. So you think that there is a problem with abandoned kids now, with over 300 abandoned babies a month just in the Guateng province, think about the problem there will be in 10 years when the grandparents have died from old age. Who will take care of the children? Who will they go to? No one is there. True religion is to visit orphans and widows, this is becoming real for me. I am learning more and more what compassion is and what it isn’t. Compassion is an action. It doesn’t mean going into a squatter camp with a million dollars and building five star resorts for the people there. It means suffering alongside with people, loving people, rejoicing with people, mourning with people, encouraging people, its being with the people. Compassion is realizing that there is no mere mortal that you meet. There is a soul within the shell of the body that will spend eternity in either of two places, and would you be the one to let them know where they could be?
I went to a township about two hours away where there is a lady, the lady who helped start Lambano (the orphanage which houses about 30 HIV+ children all under 7 years old), who has a ministry reaching out to the townships and empowering the people through education by weekly meetings and entrepreneurship by teaching how to farm and sew.





She also is reaching out to the HIV+ population. There is an AIDS hospice within the town. People come here seeking help. Because the hospitals are so bad most people are malnourished and dirty. This is what the hospice seeks to do. That is, wash people up, and help them with a proper diet. Every person who comes has AIDS. I thought I was prepared to see such a place. This was not the case. I felt sick to my stomach because I thought that it would be a photo opportunity. But I was filled with heartache because a 21 year old lady with a 3 month old baby looked like a skeleton with tears coming down her face. What could I do? I tried to bring up a smile to encourage her. I felt so helpless. Then is when I can rely on God’s providence. This is why I need to be reminded so often that I serve an almighty God, who is in control of everything. Even the HIV virus. Psalm 115:3 says that God is in the heavens and He does whatever pleases Him. Rejoice in the fact that you can not see the big picture. Rejoice that God works all things after the counsel of His own will. Rejoice that He works all things together for good to those who love Him. I need to be reminded of this often. And thank God, in His providence, that I heard that sermon, on God’s providence, three times. Nothing happens on accident, and there is no such thing as luck or chance, but God knows all things. In that sermon Jack gave an illustration that I believe is a puritan illustration of how God’s will works, and also explaining the doctrine of concurrence, which is how sinful mans actions and God’s sovereign will work themselves out. Because God has given man a degree of free will to make decisions, and he has given the demons a will to make decisions and to act in whatever way they want, but WHATEVER they choose, it is all working in God’s will. Just as the gears in a grandfather clock, some are large and others small. Some are moving the “right” way, and some are in opposition, but with every turn of the gear they are forwarding the motion of the hands on the face. God’s will will be done. And it will carry on as He wants it to.
The problems in South Africa run deep. They run so deep the only thing that can get to them is the gospel. I feel like I can go on and on about the things I’ve learned but this is sufficient for now. Please have this country in prayer, as God is the only one who can change things.