"Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." (Ps 115:2, 3)
Who can resist the hand of God? The specific attribute of God is "transcendence," which means that He is above all power, glory, and honor. Or as Ephesians puts it, He is "above all" (Eph. 4:6), but the Bible teaches more than the transcendence of God. It also teaches "immanence." This means that God is not only above all, but he is "through all." Together, these two attributes keep us from falling into either Deism, which sees God as absent from the world, or from Pantheism, which does not distinguish between God and His creation.
The child of God must never confuse God with His creation, or he falls into idolatry, the worship of the creature. But it is equally fatal to deny that God is absent from Creation and does not rule it completely. As Q. 27 of the Heidelberg Catechism puts it: "What do you understand by the providence of God? The almighty, everywhere-present power of God, whereby, as it were by His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures, and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things come not by chance, but by His fatherly hand."
HC Q. 28 then asks: "What does it profit us to know that God created and by His providence upholds all things? That we may be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and for what is future have good confidence in our faithful God and Father, that no creature shall separate us from His love, since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move."
Louis Berkhof references from Scripture the following things that are directly under the control of God's providence:
The Universe at large: "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all." (Ps.103:19) "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the arm of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what dost thou?" (Dan. 4:35) "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." (Eph. 1:11)
The Physical World: "God thundereth marvelously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend....By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened." (Job. 37:5,10) "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth." (Ps. 104:14) "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." (Ps. 135:6) " ...He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:45)
The Brute Creation: "The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God....That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good." (Ps. 104: 21,28) "Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matt. 6:26) "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." (Matt. 10:29)
The Affairs of Nations: "He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again." (Job 12:23) "For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations." (Ps. 22:28) "He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah" (Ps. 66:7) "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." (Acts.17:26)
Man's Birth and Lot in Life: "And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons." (1 Sam. 16:1) "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." (Ps.139:16) "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me." (Is. 45:5) "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother' womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood...." (Gal. 1:15,16)
Outward Success or Failure: "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." (Ps. 75:6,7) "He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts." (Luke 1:52)
Small Things: "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD." (Pro. 16:33) "But the very hairs of your head are numbered." (Matt. 10:30)
The Protection of the Righteous: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Ps. 4:8) "For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield." (Ps. 5:12) "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." (Deut. 8:3) "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." (Phil. 4:19)
The Wants of God's People: "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together....And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." (Gen. 22:8, 14) "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deut. 8:3) "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)
Answers to Prayer: "And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her." (1 Sam. 1:19) "And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God." (2 Chron. 33:13) "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." (Ps. 65:2) "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you... " (Matt. 7:7)
Punishment of the Wicked: "If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." (Ps. 7:12,13) "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." (Ps. 11:6)
Because everything comes to us from the hand of God, we have two very important responses.
1. In everything we show patience and thankfulness, because all comes to us from God.
"Saying, "We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." (Rev. 11:17) "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Heb 13:15) "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Th 5:18) "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" (Eph 5:20) "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place." (2 Co 2:14) "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Ps 118:29) "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:" (Ps 92:1) "So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations." (Ps 79:13)
2. No matter what happens to us, our business is always with God.
"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:20-22) "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Heb 4:13)
