An Arabian fable tells of a man who, while walking through a forest, noticed a fox that had lost its two back legs. “How does it survive,” he wondered, “since it cannot chase after food?” Then, to his amazement, he saw a tiger approach with game in its mouth; after eating its fill, the tiger left the remainder of the meat for the fox. When this happened again the following day, the man exclaimed, “How great is the goodness of God in providing for His creatures! From now on I too shall rest securely here in the forest, trusting that the Lord will provide for me in the same way.”
The man found a comfortable spot and lay down, waiting for the Lord to send him food—but nothing happened the first day, or the second, or in any of the days that followed. At death’s door, the weak and nearly-emaciated man cried out, “All-powerful and all-knowing God, why aren’t You helping me?” Then he heard a voice from Heaven: “O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth! Follow the example of the tiger, and stop imitating the disabled fox.”
The Lord does indeed provide for our needs, as Jesus promised (Mt. 6:31-33)—but He also expects us to do our part by fulfilling our worldly and spiritual responsibilities, thereby actively waiting for and cooperating with the unfolding of His plan of salvation. We have a popular saying that “God helps those who help themselves.” This idea is true, but incomplete; we might expand the proverb by adding the words “He also helps those who are unable to help themselves.” As Scripture promises, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1)—and God’s care for His creation and for His people is what we mean by divine providence.
A Definition of Providence
In his Modern Catholic Dictionary, the great Jesuit scholar Fr. John Hardon referred to providence as “God’s all-wise plan for the universe, and the carrying out of this plan by His loving rule or governance,” and then added, “As expressed by the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), ‘God, in His providence watches over and governs all the things that He made, reaching from end to end with gentleness.’” Fr. Hardon noted that the word providence itself comes from the Latin providentia, which means foresight or foreknowledge, and also stated, “It is infallibly certain because the ultimate purpose that God has for the universe will not fail. And it is immutable [unchanging] because God Himself cannot change.”
Moreover, Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia adds, “Although the plan itself and in all its detail is entirely the work of God, in its implementation God deploys the natural and free activity of many intermediary and secondary agents [i.e., angels and human beings]. Furthermore, even moral evils and physical defects, as permitted by God, cannot obstruct the consummation of the divine plan.” The common saying “God writes straight with crooked lines” expresses this same idea: while respecting our free will, the Lord—in a manner often beyond our understanding—brings a greater good out of all our choices and actions, including those that are foolish, sinful, or even evil, in effect making all human history serve as a preparation for the coming of His Kingdom.
Providence in Scripture
The Bible is replete with references to God’s care for His creation, acknowledging Him as the “creator of the heavens [and] designer and maker of the earth” (Is. 45:18), and as the One Who rules over all peoples and nations (Ps. 113:4). As stated in the Psalms, “God reigns over the nations, God sits upon His holy throne” (Ps. 47:9). Because of His divine authority and power, the Lord does whatever He pleases (Ps. 115:3); all lands and kingdoms are His (Ps. 82:8) and are subject to His judgments (Ps. 7:9; Ps. 105:7).
Just as Lucifer and one-third of the angels were cast out of Heaven after rebelling against God (Rev. 12:8-10), so the Lord passes judgment on nations and kings who set themselves against Him: “He Who is throned in Heaven laughs; the Lord derides them. Then in anger He speaks to them; He terrifies them in His wrath” (Ps. 2:4-5). The Bible tells us that “The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations; He foils the designs of peoples. But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of His heart, through all generations” (Ps. 33:10-11).
This divine authority is exercised not only over entire nations, but in the lives of individual human beings; as Scripture notes, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established” (Prv. 19:21). This is especially true in regard to divine opposition to all evildoers; though the wicked plot evil, God casts them down and preserves the lives of His faithful (Ps. 36:2-5). We see this especially in terms of the covenant, or sacred agreement, the Lord established with His people. As Moses explained to the Israelites, “It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the Lord set His heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations” (Dt. 7:7). Centuries earlier God had made a solemn covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:18; 22:17-18), promising that he would become the father of a great nation, with descendants too numerous to count.
One of these descendants was Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph, who was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt (Gen.37:28)—a powerful illustration of the working of divine providence. Joseph, of course, rose to a position of great power and influence in Egypt because of his God-given ability to interpret dreams; his advice to store up food in preparation for seven years of famine spared the Egyptians, and many foreigners, the ravages of hunger. When his own brothers came to purchase food, Joseph explained to them, “It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you” (Gen. 45:5). Moreover, the story of Joseph illustrates how the Lord weaves even sinful deeds into His saving plan; as Joseph said, “Even though you meant to harm me, God meant it for good, to achieve His present end, the survival of many people” (Gen. 50:20). The story of Esther is another Old Testament illustration of how the Lord is able to preserve His people from peril and order all things for their well-being (4:14).
The New Testament also emphasizes the unfolding of God’s plan (cf. Acts 4:24ff); as St. Paul says, “In all wisdom and insight [the Lord] has made known to us the mystery of His will in accord with His favor that He set forth in Him [Jesus] as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in Heaven and on earth” (Eph. 1:8-10). Jesus is the culmination of God’s saving plan, the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13), and the One Who will judge all peoples and nations at the end of the world (Mt. 25:31ff).
However, the Gospels and New Testament Letters particularly stress the Lord’s personal care for each individual believer; as Jesus taught, “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:29-31). Our Lord further assures us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt. 7:7). We can trust in this promise, for it pleases God to give His children the Kingdom (Lk. 12:32). As St. Paul teaches, “We know that in everything God works for good for those who love Him” (Rom. 8:28); furthermore, the Lord “richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment” (1 Tm. 6:17). As these Scripture passages make clear, the working of divine providence—both in the affairs of nations and in the lives of individual believers—is a central biblical theme, and an utterly reliable promise.
The rest of this article can be found in Signs and Wonders 35#1/2 magazine available now. Become a member today!