“Providence is just a convenient way to explain coincidences,” comes the criticism.

Granted, sometimes a provision that comes through at the last minute can indeed seem like a fortuitous coincidence.

In The Mystery Of Providence (1678), Flavel writes, “How is it that they fall out so remarkably in the nick of time, which makes them so greatly observable to all that consider them?” (p. 40).

I have experienced God’s last-moment providences many times. Once, our family faced a hospital bill of more than $100,000 that insurance wouldn’t cover.

After many hand-wringing weeks trying to get insurance to kick in, I felt like our options had run out. We appealed through the proper channels, had many communications with the insurance company and hospital, all to no avail.

Many people prayed. Surely, I thought, God would take care of us?

For some reason, he let this go on. And on.

The payment due date was fast approaching. But miraculously, I found a letter in our mailbox saying that due to an administrative mistake, we actually only owed a tiny portion of the bill.

Lord, why did you allow us to go through that mayhem for so long?

He could’ve fixed it much earlier, couldn’t he? (Or prevented the mistake from happening at all.)

In the end, he showed us he was trustworthy. He heard fervent prayers from us and many other people. He received much praise after our deliverance.

If he had delivered us from this issue immediately, we wouldn’t have had to suffer, sure.

But he also wouldn’t have shown his character in such a dramatic, memorable way, or received so much prayer and praise.

God does things for his own reasons. He has his purposes, one of which is always to work in our lives and world history to maximize his glory.

So, in the end, what one person sees as a “happy coincidence,” we know to be a mysterious providence of God.

Still praising him,

Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
LinkedIn profile | My books