Providence, then, is the care that God takes over existing things. And again: Providence is the will of God through which all existing things receive their fitting issue.
But if Providence is God's will, according to true reasoning all things that come into being through Providence must necessarily be both most fair and most excellent, and such that they cannot be surpassed.
For the same person must of necessity be creator of and provider for what exists: for it is not meet nor fitting that the creator of what exists and the provider should be separate persons. For in that case they would both assuredly be deficient, the one in creating, the other in providing.
God therefore is both Creator and Provider, and His creative and preserving and providing power is simply His good-will. For whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in heaven and in earth, and no one resisted His will. (Romans 9:19)
He willed that all things should be and they were.
He wills the universe to be framed and it is framed, and all that He wills comes to pass. That He provides, and that He provides excellently, one can most readily perceive thus. God alone is good and wise by nature.
Since then He is good, He provides: for he who does not provide is not good. For even men and creatures without reason provide for their own offspring according to their nature, and he who does not provide is blamed. Again, since He is wise, He takes the best care over what exists.
St John of Damascus
An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith
