What does the Bible say about God's providence in bringing people to faith?

God's providence is clearly illustrated in the meeting of Lydia and Paul in Acts 16:14, where it states that the Lord opened Lydia's heart to attend to the message preached by Paul. This passage shows that God's plans are intricately designed, bringing individuals to specific places at specific times to receive His word. For Lydia, it was at the riverside in Philippi, a journey of over 300 miles driven by God's own will.

This aligns with Scriptures like Ezekiel 34:11, which proclaim God's active role as a shepherd who seeks out His scattered sheep. He orchestrates the meetings of His chosen messengers and those He has chosen to redeem. Thus, every conversion story is underpinned by God's sovereign hand, demonstrating that faith comes through hearing, and that hearing comes by the word of God (Romans 10:17).