Providence:

literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Psa 18:35; 63:8; Act 17:28; Col 1:17; Hbr 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Psa 104:14; 135:5-7; Act 14:17), the brute creation (Psa 104:21-29; Mat 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1Ch 16:31; Psa 47:7; Pro 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1Sa 2:6; Psa 18:30; Luk 1:53; Jam 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Exd 12:36; 1Sa 24:9-15; Psa 33:14,15; Pro 16:1; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1), and things sinful (2Sa 16:10; 24:1; Rom 11:32; Act 4:27,28), as well as to their good actions (Phl 2:13; 4:13; 2Cr 12:9,10; Eph 2:10; Gal 5:22-25).

As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God's permission (Gen 45:5; 1Sa 6:6; Exd 7:13; 14:17; Act 2:3; 3:18; 4:27,28), and as controlled (Psa 76:10) and overruled for good (Gen 50:20; Act 3:13). God does not cause or approve of sin, but only limits, restrains, overrules it for good.

The mode of God's providential government is altogether unexplained. We only know that it is a fact that God does govern all his creatures and all their actions; that this government is universal (Psa 103:17-19), particular (Mat 10:29-31), efficacious (Psa 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently contingent (Pro 16:9,33; 19:21; 21:1), is consistent with his own perfection (2Ti 2:13), and to his own glory (Rom 9:17; 11:36).