For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36
Little is ever taught on God’s providential dealings in our lives and how that all fits into His overall sovereign plan. Simply put, God’s providence is His working out via the details and intricacies of life, which can be both good or bad, His designed sovereign purposes. Joel Beeke & Mark Jones correctly wrote in their volume, ‘Puritan Theology’ - “Providence is not the same as God’s predestination or eternal decree, but rather is the execution of that decree within the time and space of His creation”
What this all means is that nothing in life happens by chance. Everything, both good and bad are subject to divine providence - they are “directed by God toward some end” (Augustine).
So how does this affect us? Primarily it should encourage us immensely knowing that no matter what the specific event/s, God’s sovereign redemptive plan will always remain right on track! Dean R. Ulrich in ‘From Famine to Fullness’ said this: Throughout the Bible, bleak situations provide the stage for God’s intervention in the lives of His people. We trust in a God who provided redemption in Jesus Christ when circumstances looked as if no redemption was possible. The events of our lives are the scene of His providential and redemptive activity. Nothing occurs by chance, takes God by surprise, or exceeds His power to handle. This is the foundation of trust.