### 27. Q. What do you understand by the providence of God? **A**. Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God1 by which God upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures,2 and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty3—all things, in fact, come to us not by chance4 but by his fatherly hand.5 1 [Jer. 23:23-24](/index.php/get-passage/Jeremiah+23:23-24); [Acts 17:24-28](/index.php/get-passage/Acts+17:24-28) 2 [Heb. 1:3](/index.php/get-passage/Hebrews+1:3) 3 [Jer. 5:24](/index.php/get-passage/Jeremiah+5:24); [Acts 14:15-17](/index.php/get-passage/Acts+14:15-17); [John 9:3](/index.php/get-passage/John+9:3); [Prov. 22:2](/index.php/get-passage/Proverbs+22:2) 4 [Prov. 16:33](/index.php/get-passage/Proverbs+16:33) 5 [Matt. 10:29](/index.php/get-passage/Matthew+10:29)