You can write Lua code that interacts with OS X APIs for applications, windows, mouse pointers, filesystem objects, audio devices, batteries, screens, low-level keyboard/mouse events, clipboards, location services, wifi, and more.

Typically you would write a configuration file in Lua that connects events to actions. You might want to bind a keyboard shortcut to a series of window operations, or an applescript. You might want to run a series of commands when your wifi interface connects to your home network. You might want to display an alert when your battery drops below a certain percentage. You might want to do something crazy like have iTunes automatically start playing when your Mac detects you are in Paris.