God brought us into this world with an end in mind. That end began with Adam and Eve. They put a detour in that end, yet God’s plan was not thwarted (nobody can do that). He re-routed it through the saving grace found in Jesus.
He has a great ending / beginning for us, as well as for the rest of His creations. His non-human creations don’t have free-will, so they are naturally being perfected by God to arrive along with His children throughout the ages. Together they receive His perfection at the gates of eternity:
For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now.
And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons – the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. For in this hope we were saved [by faith}. Rm. 8:18 – 24. AMP
Thus, according to Thomas Aquinas’ (we’re still in the midst of his theological understandings), this ending that all creation is drawing near to, is the perfection of God’s divine goodness – a place where we humans finally lay our eyes upon the essence of God and gain freedom from all wants and desires.
Fortuitously for us, God Himself guides us in the way of this ‘good end’ through His Divine Providence. He sets forth a distinct order of actions that we must undertake in order to have Him facilitate our perfect end. God presents us with the Truth that we can both understand, follow, and share – found in His word and through the Holy Spirit and His angels.
“I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will turn darkness into light in front of them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.” Is. 42:16 NKJV
Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the LORD. Pr. 20:24 AMP
Given that God exists in all things, we are all recipients of His Divine Providence; to what degree that we receive it, is subject to the use of our free will to align with it.
Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. Dt. 29:9 NKJV
“…choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding closely to Him; for He is your life [your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment] and the length of your days…” Dt. 30:19, 20. AMP
Out of His Divine Providence, God works miracles, and He oversees the dispensation of all things. And yet, there are trials and tribulations because there is evil in the world. Evil is not part of Divine Providence; evil results from free-will choices (which God will not violate) to act contrary to His ways.
However, God will still take the results of evil, and do some good with it: e.g. the good results of Joseph being sold by his brothers into slavery:
“…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is in this day, to save many people alive.” Gn. 50:20 NKJV
Finally, we see Divine Providence at work through God’s grace, offered through the death and resurrection of His Son.
Because we have free will, we are held accountable for our actions – blessings for those that are godly, and punishment for those that are not (it may not be immediate, but it will come).
Aquinas writes:
God infuses into man, over and above the natural faculty of reason, the light of grace whereby he is internally perfected for the exercise of virtue…inasmuch as man’s mind is elevated by this light to the knowledge of truths surpassing reason, and as regards action and affection…to the love of God, to hope in Him, and to performance of acts that such love imposes.
This light is the freely given light of God to facilitate the journey to your good end. Grace is deflected by sin but is restored by repentance.
Your happy ending manifests as your eternal life in an immortal soul, nestling in God’s fullness in all things…
Goodnight and God bless.