The Heidelberg Catechism

Lord's Day 09 (Q & A 26)
Lord's Day 10 (Q & A 27 28)

Part II: Deliverance: God the Father

Lord's Day 9

Q & A 26

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

Lord's Day 10

Q & A 27

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 & A 28

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