And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Sometimes our lives take sudden and unexpected turns. How do we explain them? Good luck? Bad luck? Coincidence? Divine intervention? Paul does not respond here to the “why” question. Instead, he says that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” This is what we call God’s providence. Our God can make every circumstance in life—good or bad–work for our benefit. We know that by faith and by experience. 

In April 1992, a volcano called “Cerro Negro” (Black Mountain) erupted in the city of León, Nicaragua, about 50 miles northwest of the capital city, Managua. A group of us traveled to the site to verify the situation, and we found that many people of the church were in great need. So, another preacher and I went to the United States to look for some relief funds for those that had been affected. 

We arrived in Wichita Falls, Texas, where my sponsoring congregation was located, and we began doing our job. While there, a friend shared with me information about a York College scholarship program offered to Hispanics willing to study Bible and Ministry. My friend knew that for a while I had been looking for an opportunity like this, and he encouraged me to call for an appointment. A few days later, we drove all the way to York, Nebraska, and met the Dean of the University. I filled out several documents and had some interviews. Everything went well, and we returned to Texas and later to Nicaragua.

Before we left Texas, the Faith Village Church in Wichita Falls donated a bus with a new engine to our cause. We took the seats out of the bus and strapped them to the roof in order to have enough room for donations. It was a full-week drive to Managua through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. While going down the mountains of Guatemala, the bus brakes failed, and we were on the verge of having an accident. However, we managed to stop the bus and took it to a repair shop. Finally, we arrived safely in Managua, and a few days later we distributed the aid we had collected to the people in need. In July, I received a letter in my post office box from York University. I had been admitted as a student of Bible and Ministry, and I was awarded a full tuition and fees scholarship plus food, lodging, and books. So, in August of that year, we flew to Dallas and then drove to York. 

How do I explain these seemingly unconnected events? Was I lucky? Was it a coincidence of various events? No. I believe it was God’s providence in action. God managed a disastrous situation—the volcano eruption—to become a blessing for those affected by it and to make my dream of studying Bible at the university level a reality. He allowed all this in order to later use me in His church in different manners. My coming to the States and entering university was a crucial point in my life, a watershed moment that took me down surprising and unexpected paths. Not everything was “pie in the sky by and by,” but God worked out things for my good. God’s providence manifested itself in my life again later, when I received a Presidential Scholarship to pursue Graduate Studies at Abilene Christian University, as well as many other times throughout my life.  

Whatever the circumstances you are going through, remember that God is present and aware. His providence will lead and bless you. Therefore, try to see beyond immediate circumstances because God is capable of doing extraordinary things even from what causes us sadness or pain. God's providence will affect our lives so that the new far surpasses the old! 

The apostle Paul understood well how God's providence works. His persecution of the church took him on the road to Damascus, where he had his decisive encounter with Christ. The initial rejection of the church in Jerusalem led him to meet Barnabas and the church in Antioch in Syria, from which he later embarked on three missionary expeditions through Asia Minor and Europe. His imprisonment in Caesarea took him to Rome, where he had ample and new opportunities to bear witness to Christ. He knew in his heart that the Lord is always in control. Listen to him in the following verses:

Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. (1 Corinthians 16:6-7 NIV)

“If the Lord allows it” is an expression of faith in God’s providence. Let us therefore trust in the good will of the Lord, in his wisdom and in his incomparable love. He will always guide us to what is best, according to the purpose he has for our lives.