Q. What do you believe when you say, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth"?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them,^1 who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence,^2 is my God and Father because of Christ his Son.^3 I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul,^4 and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world.^5 He is able to do this because he is almighty God;^6 he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.^7

^1 Gen. 1 & 2; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6; Isa. 44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15

^2 Ps. 104; Matt. 6:30; 10:29; Eph. 1:11

^3 John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5

^4 Ps. 55:22; Matt. 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31

^5 Rom. 8:28

^6 Gen. 18:14; Rom. 8:31-39

^7 Matt. 7:9-11

Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?

A. Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God^1 by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures,^2 and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty--^3 all things, in fact, come to us not by chance^4 but from his fatherly hand.^5

^1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28

^2 Heb. 1:3

^3 Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2

^4 Prov. 16:33

^5 Matt. 10:29

Q. How does the knowledge of God's creation and providence help us?

A. We can be patient when things go against us,^1 thankful when things go well,^2 and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love.^3 All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.^4

^1 Job 1:21-22; James 1:3

^2 Deut. 8:10; 1 Thess. 5:18

^3 Ps. 55:22; Rom. 5:3-5; 8:38-39

^4 Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 21:1; Acts 17:24-28