Once we understand the concept of Providence and see it as the operation of the Spirit (and the great Cloud of angelic servants at the Throne of God [cf. Hebrews 12:1-2]), then we can apply the insights of men who are unwitting stewards of God's manifold wisdom. These men stand in what we might call the "Tradition of Spontaneous Order." Their insights are more popularly seen in what Robert Nozick has called "Invisible Hand" theories.
Some two centuries ago, the concept of Spontaneous Order received renewed attention in the writings of such Scottish intellectuals as Adam Smith. Not a result of man's planning, State intervention, or rational human design, these theorists rightly pointed out that order and harmony in society are to be attributed to the "invisible hand" of the "free market." When men are working to meet their day to day needs, society benefits, even though these men may seek only their own advantage. Since Smith's day, an army of free market intellectuals have developed intricate theories of how the "invisible hand" works to produce order. Among the more notable of these scholars are Nobel Prize-winning economist F.A. Hayek, and Thomas Sowell, whose book Knowledge and Decisions is already receiving high praise from many Theonomists.
A Biblical theory of Providence very obviously explains the almost self-explanatory metaphor of the "invisible hand." We shall therefore simply note what the reader has already seen: it is the Spirit of God that brings order and harmony in society, not the rational planning of the State Commissariat, Department, Agency, Board, or Ministry of such-and-such.
But all of this is intensely practical. Its thesis is very much "day-to-day." It is at the heart of Jesus' "anarchistic" command in Mark 10:42-45:
Ye know that they which think it good to rule [archo] over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister. For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.
We are expressly forbidden to take upon ourselves responsibility for shaping a political "master plan." We are shown the example of the politically powerful and explicitly told to repudiate their example. Some will call this "pietistic." Some will say we have imbibed at the well of the Anabaptists. "How will order and prosperity be insured if we do not have Christians in the State?" Answer: service. If we carry on our day-to-day lives in strict accordance with God's Law, we will find ourselves ministering to the poor, serving as educators, providing services, networking with other believers, and overseeing it all is the Spirit of God, the Glory-Cloud which takes all our service and uses it to build the Kingdom.
With the work of the Law written on the heart of all men (Romans 2:15) and the bountiful blessings of the New Covenant overflowing and pouring out onto even unbelievers (John 1:9; I Timothy 4:10), the promise of world-wide peace, Edenic restoration, and Gospel harmony (Micah 4:1-5) are being worked out -- not because we are totally and intellectually perfect in our understanding of what that goal really even is, but because the Spirit is directing our paths and preparing His Temple.
While the Spirit is powerful enough to use even the works of the Gentiles (non-Christians who do the work of the Law but not to the Praise and Glory of God), this does not mean that we can do nothing, or worse, walk after the flesh (Romans 8), and expect the Spirit to order our pleasure and sin and produce life (cf. I Timothy 5:6). The Spirit is the author of the InScriptured Covenant which God has revealed to us and which we either break or keep. While the Spirit honors the covenant and brings blessing on our obedience, He also brings cursing and judgment upon our faithlessness. Our failure to serve will result in the judgment of chaos, riot, and fragmentation.
Thus, we must keep our eyes on God's Glorious promises, and we must keep diligently obeying the practical commands of His Word. The Spirit will accomplish His Spectacular work according to the all-wise plan of God.