Providence

Nothing can happen to us by chance, but only that which has passed through the filter of divine Providence. Both the good and the bad – all of it has been subject to God’s careful scrutiny and consideration. See the story of Job (Job 1:12) or Joseph (Genesis 50:20) or Jesus (Isaiah 53:10). Nothing has come into your life without His knowledge or provision. Nothing has surprised Him, evaded Him, or escaped His notice. He has made provision for every circumstance, even the ones that seemed to come at you out of nowhere. He has a plan for all of it.

What comfort, then, to know that the Lord does not enjoy hurting people (Lamentations 3:33). His purpose in whatever He allows is to accomplish His astounding plan for good. A plan so complex that only God could have come up with it. Only God could carry it out.

We see evidence of it in Eden, when the Lord God told the serpent, “From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). And in the flood, when the Lord provided protection for His creation through the righteousness of one man, who believed God enough to build a giant boat in the middle of a desert (Genesis 6:9-22). Redemption, rescue and forgiveness run all throughout the Old Testament history, in spite of struggle, opposition, and outright rebellion. 

It leads directly to the manger, where the Son of God arrived covered in blood and dirt (Luke 2:7) for the express purpose of taking away the sins of the world (John 1:29). And it culminates at the Cross, where Christ Jesus the Righteous died. When He did, He took destruction and evil and injustice and brought something good out of it – our freedom.

When I look at my life, I can see the hand of God as well. The hardships haven’t been too hard for Him, and through them He’s led me to good places that I otherwise wouldn’t have gone. I still believe He has a plan and it’s a good one (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28). So whatever you’re facing, “don’t be afraid… for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly” (1 Chronicles 28:20).