YOUR
LUCKY DAY
It
was one of those rare days when everything "goes my way."
The traffic lights were all green and I found a parking place at the
end of the row closest to the entrance of the store. I didn't have
to wait in line at the check-out, and the item that I went to
purchase was on sale at half price. It must have been my lucky day!
No
doubt, "luck" is a word that is commonly used in our
society. The winning casino gambler is invariably referred to as
being smiled on by "lady luck." On the other hand, there
are those occasions where everything seems to go wrong wherein it is
not uncommon to hear it said that they were having a "run of bad
luck."
Many
live their lives on the basis of "luck." It's not uncommon
to find that many have the superstitious custom of carrying a
rabbit's foot for "good luck," or perhaps carry a "lucky"
coin in their pocket. Some have a particular piece of clothing that
they wear, such as their "lucky" hat, when they are hoping
for "good luck." When things fall a certain way in matters
of choice, some will say that "it was the luck
of the draw." And how many times have you heard (or said
yourself), "good luck" to someone when wishing them success
on a certain venture? All of these references to "luck"
share a common thread of meaning. It all encompasses the idea of
"chance." In fact, the definition of "luck"
according to Webster's Dictionary is, "The seeming chance
happening
of events which effect one; fortune; lot; fate." On the word
"lucky," we find this definition: "Lucky implies a
favorable or advantageous event happening by mere
chance,
often unexpectedly, and not as the result of effort or merit."
In
Solomon's efforts to "seek and search out by wisdom concerning
all that is done under heaven" (Eccl. 1:13), he made this
observation: "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to
the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of
understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but
time and chance
happen to them all."
(Eccl. 9:11) Regardless of what may appear
to be a circumstance that ensures
our success, it is no guarantee that such will be the outcome.
Circumstances and opportunities come our way, but our choices are not
guarantors of the outcome that we expect.
The
real issue in the matter of "time and circumstance" is that
we not make the mistake of relegating everything to "luck"
and thus exclude the providence of God from the affairs of life.
Such is the norm in our present carnally-minded society which refuses
to acknowledge God. However, Jesus makes it clear that the heavenly
Father "makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Mt. 5:45) He is the
source
of everything that is good. As James says, "Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of
lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
(Jas. 1:17) That, dear reader, is not a matter of "luck"
but rather the reality of God's providence.
While
"luck" is embraced by many to be the sole determiner of
every outcome, it should be observed that there is also a contrasting
view held by some who wish to attribute "providence" to
every minute detail of their lives. Such an extreme view declares
the light turning green and the parking space coming available as
being matters of providence. Those who hold to such a view are often
guilty of attributing all kinds of circumstances to God as having
intervened in their lives in matters which may not necessarily be His
doing.
Many
credit God for circumstances that have lead to their "conversion"
or to the "numerical growth" of their denomination. In so
doing, they have unknowingly credited God with leading them into
error. Man has been guilty of such erroneous perception for a long
time. Consider the example in Mt. 12:22-24 where Jesus healed a
demon possessed man who was blind and mute. "And all the
multitudes were amazed and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?'"
(vs. 23) While these people believed that this miracle was done by
the power of God and thus gave Him the credit for such, the Pharisees
attributed the undeniable miracle to being the work of Satan, saying,
"This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the
ruler of the demons." (vs. 24)
The
debate between "luck" and "providence" is one
that mankind will never agree on. And while such is the case, our
responsibility is not to figure out all of the workings of God.
Remember "how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past
finding out!" (Rom. 11:33) We should rather busy ourselves in
seizing the opportunities that God places before us and place the
outcome into His hands. On this thought, consider again the words of
Solomon; "As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or
how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do
not know the works of God who makes all things. In the morning sow
your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do
not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both
alike will be good." (Eccl. 11:5-6) Truly, we do not
know God's workings, but that does not prevent us from conducting our
daily lives by using what He blesses us with and doing good with it.
We may not know the outcome of it, or how He will use it for His
eternal purpose, but we can still serve Him and glorify Him as the
Provider of every good and perfect gift.
When
the nation of Israel hung in the balance on Esther's decision of
whether to approach the king on their behalf, Mordecai said to her,
"Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's
palace any more than all the other Jews. For
if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance
will arise for the Jews from another place,
but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who
knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
(Esth. 4:13-14) While Mordecai expressed his faith in the providence
of God to deliver them regardless of Esther's decision, he
acknowledged the fact that he could not know if the circumstances of
this moment in time was the means that God would use to carry out His
will.
Life
is not luck. Therefore, use it to His glory.
-
Gary V. Womack - November 2003