This is something from my journal on Divine Providence. I share it because there’s a univerisal principal here that is crucial to understand. It’s a lesson I’m still very much actively in the process of learning…
God was showing me today how every aspect of Saul’s ascent to be the king was providentially arranged by God. If you look at the account in 1st Samuel 9- 10 even the smallest details like lost donkeys were there because God was using them as providential stepping stones.
God reminded me of the prophecy that was spoken over me in Woodland, WA- how great things are turned by very small gears. That in the small details God was going to be working out huge providential events in my life. I was surprised because I had long forgotten about the prophecy and it came back to me today as I was pondering 1st Samuel.
God was also showing me that as Ruth was out in the fields gleaning, going about her business, that God brought her into the fullness of His plan for her.
On top of all this, what God was showing me was that He did it all.
It was not necessary for Saul or Ruth to knowingly cooperate as if they knew the will of God. They were engaged in the normal everday mundane affairs of life and God took care of everything to bring to pass what He wanted to do!
It’s easy for us to see the Hand of God when we’re looking back in retrospect. At the time, they had no clue that the small details were being providentially arranged by God to bring them into the fullness of His plan for them.
Saul was out looking for lost donkeys, Ruth was out just gleaning in the fields. You might wonder, “How does this have anything to do with God bringing them into some great plan for them?” It had everything to do with it, because God was using the regular details of life to position and place them exactly where He wanted them to be so they would find themselves at the right place, at the right time, to fulfill God designed destiny.
The life of Joseph is the prime example of God ordering our steps to bring us into destiny. The unfolding of Joseph’s life seem to be characterized by one bad event after another! These negative things would be followed by the favor of God in his life, but even so, he constantly found himself thrust once again into new unplesant situations. The predicaments that Joseph found himself were not short term inconveniences! Joseph was often stuck in one bad situation after another, and these divine confinements would drag on and on. We can learn an interesting principle from the life of Joseph- negative and positive providences are often woven together to bring us to God’s desired endpoint.
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. -Genesis 50:20