God’s direction in our lives precedes our births. He permits, for reasons known only to Himself, people to act contrary to His sovereign will. Our understanding of the truth that God is in control of all things, and will directly affect our ability to live in contentment in our lives. We could explore many passages that remind of of this (Proverbs 16:9 Ecclesiastes 7:13; Lamentations 3:37; James 4:13-15; Revelation 3:7), consider Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established.” We must understand that we make plans, but those plans an only succeed when they are consistent with God’s purpose – no plan can succeed against Him. What an encouragement, to know that no one or no thing can execute their malicious plan unless God has first decreed it. God is in control, but ion His control, He allows us to experience pain, and that pin is very real. Yet, in the midst of our suffering we must believe and accept that God is in control, and He has a good purpose in those events. Remember nothing is so small or trivial as to escape the attention of God’s sovereign control, and nothing is so great to be beyond His power to control it.