Imagine there’s a major flood, and the waters start rising and rising. The man goes up to the second floor of his house and he’s literally trapped up there by the high waters. Finally, someone along the street — which is now covered with water — a man comes on a raft paddling by and says to the fellow on the second floor window, come out quick, the water’s rising, come out quick, I can save you. And the fellow in the window says no, I trust in Hashem, I trust in Hashem. The raft goes by. Ten minutes later a fellow comes by on a rowboat, rowing and rowing. And he says to the fellow on the second floor window come out quick, the waters are rising, come out quick, I can save you. No, I’m not going in a rowboat, I trust in Hashem. A half hour later a speedboat comes by, quick jump in, quick, I can save you. I trust in Hashem.
Anyways, the fellow dies, he drowns. And he comes up to shamayim (heavens) and he says to Hashem, Hashem, I don’t understand this. I trusted in You, how could You let me die, Hashem where were You? And a voice comes down and says who do you think sent the speedboat?
This is a mashal (parable) to our using this world in the ways of the world. Hashem decrees exactly what’s best for us, Hashem decrees exactly what should be, but it’s our job to then go out and use the world in the ways of the world. Hashem wants us to get into that speedboat, Hashem wants us to earn a living, Hashem wants us to find the right person, but we have to use the world in the ways of the world. To earn a living you get a job; to find the right person you go out. But only when a person utilizes this world in the way that Hashem wants to, does he have a right to say my bitachon and my hishtadlus, my trusting in Hashem and my effort are properly aligned. A person has to know Hashem decrees every outcome, but Hashem wants us to use this world in the ways of the world.
