God does nothing without reason — John Calvin

“Why is it that men fret so when God sends them things entirely contrary to their desire, except that they do not acknowledge that God does everything by reason, & that He has just cause? For if we had well-imprinted on our hearts “All that God does is founded in good reason” it is certain that we would be ashamed to chase so against Him when, I say, we know that He has just occasion to dispose thus of things, as we see. Now, therefore, it is especially said that Job attributed to God nothing without reason, that is to say, that he did not imagine that God did anything which was not just & equitable… The Holy Spirit wished to tell us that, if we wish to render glory to God & bless His name properly, we must be persuaded that God does nothing without reason. So then, let us not attribute to Him either cruelty or ignorance, as if He did things in spite & unadvisedly, but let us acknowledge that He proceeds in everything & through everything with admirable justice, with goodness & infinite wisdom, so that there is only entire uprightness or equity in all that He does… If we are afflicted we must not think that it happens without reason, but God has just cause to do it. And whenever we are tried & anguished let us run back to Him, let us pray to Him that He will give us grace to acknowledge that nothing happens to us in this world except as He disposes; indeed, & to be certain that He disposes in such manner that everything always comes back to our salvation… There is nothing better than to be entirely subject to the majesty of God & to recognize that if He let us do according to our own desires there would be only confusion; but when He governs us according to His will, it is for our profit & salvation.”



— John Calvin, Sermons from Job, The LORD gave; the LORD has taken away