7 Biblical Examples of God Working Behind the Scenes
One thing we all have in common is that our lives never go as planned. Maybe you are a planner, like me. I used to pride myself on making plans, juggling a million things, and accomplishing a lot. I was a do-more kind of woman. If my plans didn’t go as I wanted, I would stress, stay awake at night, and work harder to ensure life turned out okay.
The problem with planning and preparing is that life happens. So much of what happens to us is out of our control. Over and over, God has had to show me that my perfect plan for my life wouldn’t always happen. I admit I wasn't happy the first few times God interrupted my plans.
Not having my own plans work out felt like a form of suffering. After much time, I began to grow in my relationship with God. The more I read my Bible and prayed, the more I saw that God was actually behind everything. His heart is always good and loving towards me.
At 23 years old, I delivered my first baby. I had an unexpected C-section with complications from the medication. Nursing was hard, and he was a very fussy baby. As a new mom, I struggled to understand why motherhood was so hard. There were a lot of tears, not just from the baby. Postpartum depression also showed up during this time, and I wasn’t prepared for any of it. I learned about God’s faithfulness, care, and love through that time.
Out of desperation, I started reading my Bible more and studying scripture. Although none of my motherhood plans worked out, I grew in my dependency on God, which has led me to a place of peace today.
Over the last twenty years, God has shown up in my life through every twist and turn. If I were to go back to that 23-year-old self, I would tell her a few things about God. The main thing I would say to her would be this:
God’s plans for our lives are always good; we can trust Him.
Although God felt very much absent during that time, and honestly, God has felt absent at other times as well, He isn’t absent. Just because I couldn’t see how everything would work out didn’t mean that God had forgotten about me, didn’t care for me, or abandoned me. The most comfort I’ve received through those times comes from studying the Bible.
The Bible has countless stories of God working in and through normal people. Story after story tells how God used imperfect people to accomplish His plan. Often, these people didn’t see the big picture. Rarely did they experience the fruit of their faith or get answers to their questions.
But their stories in the Bible encourage us to know that God is still writing our own stories and that we are part of a bigger plan that extends beyond us. Let’s look at seven stories to see how God was always working behind the scenes for them. This can also give us hope that God is working in our lives.
1. Abraham & Sarah: God is working behind the scenes through waiting.
Waiting can feel like God has left us. It is hard to keep praying when prayers go unanswered, lives are on hold, and pain lingers. In the story of Abraham and Sarah, we see a couple struggle through decades of infertility. Their waiting was marked by faith (Hebrews 11:8-12), but I’m sure waiting wasn’t easy. While God seemed absent in their waiting, God was working. At the right time and in the right way, their son Isaac was born. God never left them, and as you read their story in Genesis 12-16, you can see how God stays with us in our waiting.
2. Moses: God is working behind the scenes through rejection.
God’s plan for Moses’ life took a lot of time. If you know Moses’ story, you know he was ready to lead the people out of slavery to the Promised Land at the age of 40. Instead, Moses faced rejection and ended up living the next forty years in the wilderness. In those years, God was not only with him but also preparing him. The forty years Moses spent tending sheep were so that God could prepare him to be the shepherd of Israel. In Exodus 1-5, Moses' story shows us how God always works to redeem, even if we face rejection.
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3. Joseph: God is working behind the scenes through silence.
No other character in the Old Testament had more twists and turns than Joseph. Sold into slavery as a teenager, sent to prison on false charges, forgotten and rejected for two years, Joseph probably thought God had forgotten him. Joseph finally rose to power and ended up saving his entire family from starvation. If Joseph only looked at his circumstances, he would have agreed that God seemed to have left him.
In Genesis 39:2, we read these words: “The Lord was with Joseph…” God was still with Joseph during all of his trials. At the end of his life, Joseph recognized God’s hand and said: “As for you, [meaning his brothers who sold him into slavery] you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (ESV) Genesis 50:20. God is working, even if we don’t feel or hear Him. God works it all for His glory and our good.
4. Job: God is working behind the scenes through suffering.
Although Joseph surely suffered, no one can argue that Job suffered more. Job suffered the loss of his children, wealth, and health. In all of this, Job did not deny God or curse Him. Job did question God and lamented the sorrow-filled life God had allowed. But in the end, Job provides us a great example of persevering through suffering. We can bring our questions, doubts, and sorrows to God. As we do so, we can trust, like Job, that God is still in control and loves us. We do not suffer alone. We might never get the answers to “why” suffering happens, but we can seek out the “Who.” Who God is and His majesty and love help give our hearts peace when we know God is never off His throne.
5. Ruth: God is working behind the scenes through the ordinary.
The Book of Ruth tells the story of two women. Ruth’s life was filled with sorrow and ordinary living. Ruth was simply going to the field to help provide food for herself and her mother-in-law when God orchestrated salvation for both of them. The two women were widows, but Ruth did not complain or abandon Naomi. Instead, Ruth was faithful in doing ordinary things. As Ruth did what she was supposed to do, God wove her path to a new family. God restored not only Ruth’s family but Naomi’s family as well. God can use our ordinary service for His glory, and we might not ever see how He worked everything out!
6. Esther: God is working behind the scenes through providence.
Throughout the entire book of Esther, God’s name is never mentioned. Instead, we read a story of “happen-chance” or “coincidences” that leave us feeling like there is no way these things “just happened.” God’s fingerprints are all over Esther’s story. The drama unfolds and we see God’s invisible hand saving His people and using an ordinary girl and her uncle to do so. Esther’s story is a great encouragement to us. Even if no one acknowledges God’s working behind the scenes, He is! Reading the Book of Easter can give us encouragement to trust that God’s plan will go forth.
7. Daniel: God is working behind the scenes through prayer.
Daniel experienced a powerful answer to his prayer in Daniel 10:12. An angel came to Daniel after he had prayed. Here is what Daniel 10:12 says: “Then he [the angel] said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” God was working through Daniel’s prayers! What great comfort to know that God uses our prayers to work out His plan. This should remind us that our prayers are never wasted.
As we walk through this life, there will be moments when life is not turning out like we expected. Disappointment might be just around the corner. Even in this, God is working! God’s redemption, plan, and purpose always prevail. You can read about how this plays out specifically in Moses's life by reading my book, I Didn’t Sign Up for This. Discover God’s goodness in your own story today.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Uwe Krejci
Originally published July 24, 2025.
