Divine Providence

Sometimes we understand the circumstances of our lives, and at other times they mystify us. We make our plans, but God always will have His way.

There is nothing wrong with making plans for tomorrow, next month, or next year. But just remember, the Lord may change your plans. He, not you, is in control of your life. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course” (Jeremiah 10:23). We are told in Proverbs 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” And Proverbs 20:24 says, “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” We call this divine providence.

Having said that, this doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen to good, and even godly, people. But it does mean that even when bad things happen, God can bring good out of bad. Romans 8:28 reminds us that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” However, the good that God promises will not be fully realized until we get to Heaven.

There are some things we can look at in life and say, “That was bad, but in retrospect, I can see the good that has come from it.” But then there are other things we experience in life, and we’ll never see good come out of them, at least outwardly. And it is not until we get to the other side and see the Lord face-to-face that we will understand these things.

We must realize that God is in control of all circumstances that surround our lives. God loves us, and He is always looking out for our eternal benefit.