Providence. John Calvin defined it as the invisible hand of God. It’s when God guides and directs what is happening in the world (and in our lives) even when we can’t see how everything fits together.

One of the most famous biblical examples of this is Joseph. He was favoured by God, and also his biological father. And yet, Joseph was abused by his brothers, sold into slavery, put to work in Egypt, falsely accused, and put into prison. Eventually he was released, became the second-in-command in Egypt, helped many people avoid starvation (including the brothers who betrayed him), and reconciled with is family. By my count, the whole thing took 22 years.

And yet, God was working. He said this to his brothers: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20)

Wow, what perspective!

Here’s another example which is especially poignant at this time of year. 

700 years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah spoke about a coming King who would be God-with-us. He would be a servant (Isaiah 52:13); wise (52:13); come from humble beginnings (53:2); be despised and rejected (53:3); be pierced for his people’s sins and heal them by his own wounds (53:5); be like a sheep led to the slaughter (53:7); show no violence or deceit (53:9); be an offering for guilt, and have his days prolonged despite being crushed (53:10); and make sinners to be counted righteous before their God (53:11).

And all of this was foretold 700 years before Christ was born, and 2700 years before you were born! Talk about the invisible, providential hand of God!

I know, it’s easy to get discouraged. But don’t. If God was planning very specifically for the birth and saving death of Jesus 700 years before he was born, and 2700 years before you were born, he is still doing good things behind the scenes in our world—and in our own lives—even though we can’t always see it in the moment.

God’s job is to be God. Our job is to trust that God is God. Let’s be confident in how he brings good out of bad. 

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”

Notes:

-“Born To Die that We Might Live: The Prophecy of the Coming King in Isaiah 53.” Click here. Sermon.

-“Short one-line prayers from the Bible to help you pray without ceasing.” Click here. You can also listen at ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.