LINCOLN’S PROVIDENCE
Quote for Today
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
- Winston Churchill
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WORD FROM THE HOLY BIBLE FOR TODAY
Romans 11:33
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
REFLECTION
ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S PATH TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE
“Abraham Lincoln, who was born on the 12 February in 1809, remained skeptical, and at times even cynical, about religion into his forties. So, it is a most striking thing how personal and national suffering drew Lincoln into the reality of God, rather than pushing him away.
In 1862, when Lincoln was 53 years old, his 11-year-old son Willie died. Lincoln’s wife “tried to deal with her grief by searching out New Age mediums.” Lincoln turned to Phineas Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington.
Several long talks led to what Gurley described as “a conversion to Christ.” Lincoln confided that he was “driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I have nowhere else to go.”
Similarly, the horrors of the dead and wounded soldiers assaulted him daily. There were fifty hospitals for the wounded in Washington. The rotunda of the Capitol held two thousand cots for wounded soldiers.
Typically, fifty soldiers a day died in these temporary hospitals. All of this drove Lincoln deeper into the providence of God. “We cannot but believe, that He who made the world still governs it.”
His most famous statement about the providence of God in relation to the Civil War was his Second Inaugural Address, given a month before he was assassinated. It is remarkable for not making God a simple supporter for the Union or Confederate cause. God has his own purposes and does not excuse sin on either side.
Fondly do we hope — fervently do we pray — that this mighty scourge of war might speedily pass away. . . .
Yet if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man’s two hundred years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid with another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said, “the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.”
I pray for all of you who suffer loss and injury and great sorrow that it will awaken for you, as it did for Lincoln, not an empty fatalism, but a deeper reliance on the infinite wisdom and love of God’s inscrutable providence.
- By John Piper. © Desiring God Foundation.
LINCOLN’S PROVIDENCE
ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S PATH TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Reflecting on Abraham Lincoln’s journey of faith and the providence of God in light of Romans 11:33, here are five key points to meditate on: 1 Suffering Can Lead to Deeper Faith • Lincoln’s personal losses and the horrors of war could have turned him away from God, but instead, they drove him to his knees. • Likewise, our trials can either harden our hearts or push us into deeper trust in God's wisdom and love. 2. God's Purposes Are Greater Than Human Understanding • Lincoln recognized that God’s will was not simply to favor one side over the other, but to fulfill a higher purpose—justice and redemption. • We must accept that God's plans may not align with our desires, yet they are always righteous and true. 3. God Governs History and Nations • Lincoln acknowledged that “He who made the world still governs it.” This is a reminder that no event, no leader, and no war is beyond God’s sovereign control. • Even in chaotic times, God is working out His divine purposes. 4. God's Judgment Is Righteous and Just • Lincoln’s reference to justice for the sin of slavery reflects a biblical truth: God is patient, but He does not ignore sin. • When injustice prevails, we can trust that God's timing and judgment are perfect. 5. Trust in God's Wisdom, Even When It Is Inscrutable • Romans 11:33 reminds us that God's ways are beyond our comprehension, just as Lincoln wrestled with the mysteries of divine providence. • Faith means trusting God even when we don’t understand—believing that His wisdom, justice, and love are deeper than we can fathom. As you reflect on these truths, consider how you can respond to suffering and uncertainty with faith like Lincoln—turning to prayer, trusting in God’s providence, and seeking His purpose in all things.
Neven MacEwan
Heavenly Father, I come before You, humbled by the mystery of Your wisdom and the depths of Your providence. Like Abraham Lincoln, I face moments of suffering, uncertainty, and grief. In these times, help me not to turn away from You, but to fall to my knees in surrender, knowing that You alone are my refuge and strength. Lord, I do not always understand Your ways, but I trust that Your purposes are good and just. You govern the world with righteousness, and nothing is beyond Your sovereign control. Teach me to rest in the knowledge that even in the darkest moments, You are at work, weaving all things for Your glory and my ultimate good. Help me to see suffering not as a reason for despair, but as a call to deeper faith. When I feel lost, remind me that You are guiding history, my life, and my heart according to Your perfect plan. Strengthen my trust in Your justice and mercy, even when I cannot see the full picture. Like Lincoln, may I turn to prayer in moments of trial. May my struggles lead me closer to You, not further away. Give me the faith to believe that, though Your judgments are beyond my understanding, they are always true and righteous. Help me to seek Your purpose in all things and to walk in obedience, no matter the cost. Oh, the depth of Your riches, wisdom, and knowledge! How unsearchable are Your judgments and how inscrutable Your ways! (Romans 11:33) I place my trust in You, Lord, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Neven MacEwan
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