God the Wise Governor in His Divine Providence
God the Wise Governor in His Divine Providence
The General Message of the Lecture
The lecture affirms that God is the wise governor of everything. He governs creation, humanity, history, and salvation through a marvelous divine providence that surpasses human understanding, directing all matters — even tribulations and falls — toward goodness and salvation for those who trust Him and place their lives in His hands.
First: Divine Providence in Creation
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that God governed creation with supreme wisdom, creating everything at the appropriate time and in perfect order. He prepared food, water, light, and air for humanity before creating man, and He prepared for every animal what suits its nature and environment, so that each creature is fitted for life according to its needs.
Second: Divine Providence in Nature and Humanity
God’s providence is revealed in nature through the marvelous harmony between seasons and human needs, and in the human body which operates with precise and balanced order. It is also seen in the ability of weak creatures to survive through means granted to them by God.
Third: Divine Providence in Salvation
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that God arranged salvation throughout history with wisdom and patience. He prepared for it through sacrifices and symbols, then arranged the Incarnation, chose the Virgin, prepared the way through John the Baptist, and arranged suitable conditions for the spread of the Gospel through language, roads, and prepared individuals.
Fourth: Divine Providence in the Lives of the Saints
The lecture presents many examples from the Holy Bible and the lives of saints, showing how God uses trials and tribulations to form spiritual character, as seen in Joseph the Righteous, Moses, David, Jonah, Peter, Paul, and others. Even falls are sometimes permitted for humility and spiritual growth.
Fifth: Divine Providence Surpasses Human Planning
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III emphasizes that human planning — no matter how logical it seems — fails if it opposes God’s will, and that salvation does not come through human or satanic means, but through divine providence manifested in the Cross and Redemption.
Spiritual Conclusion
The lecture calls for complete trust in God’s providence, waiting for the Lord with humility and faith, and not resisting His will, for God arranges a person’s life even before birth and guides everything in its proper time, so that the final outcome is always: “And indeed, it was very good.”
“For better translation support, please contact the cent
