Divine Providence

Divine Providence

Providence is where God Himself, in His wisdom, He so orders all events within the universe, that the end for which it was created may be realized. 

 

That end is that all creatures should manifest the glory of God, and in particular that man should glorify Him, recognizing in nature the work of His hand, serving Him in obedience and love, and thereby attaining to the full development of his nature and to eternal happiness in God.

 

The universe is a system of real beings created by God and directed by Him to this supreme end, the concurrence of God being necessary for all natural operations, whether of things animate or inanimate, and still more so for operations of the supernatural order. 

 

He does not will evil, but uses it for his purposes…

1. God preserves the universe in being; 
2. He acts in and with every creature in each and all its activities. In spite of sin, which is due to the wilful perversion of human liberty, acting with the concurrence, but contrary to the purpose and intention of God and in spite of evil which is the consequence of sin, 
3. He directs all, even evil and sin itself, to the final end for which the universe was created.

We can reject his direction, or accept and be saved (but He is always directing us).