God’s Providence

(Prov 16:33 GNB) We may make our plans, but God has the last word.

This verse is nothing new. Solomon has already made similar statements in Proverbs. What I want to focus in on today is God’s providence. The New American Standard Version of this verse reads: “The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.” The practice of ‘casting of lots’ was similar to today’s rolling of dice. Actually, The New Living Translation of this verse reads: “We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.”

In the OT and even up to the time of Pentecost, the casting of the lot was a legitimate way of determining the will of God. It may seem strange to us, but many of Jehovah’s followers believed in the process. Now, before you judge them or criticize this seemingly strange way of seeking God’s will, you must remember that they were not Born-Again and therefore did not have God’s Spirit living inside of them. So many of them resorted to this seemingly random way of hearing from God. While the process may seem much like a matter of chance, Solomon was teaching that the Lord could even work through lots (or dice) to make His will known.

This speaks to the God’s sovereignty. There is no such thing as chance, luck, or mere coincidence. God knew what would happen, before the foundations of the world, and He has planned accordingly.

It may seem like chance or luck that when Joseph was sold as a slave that he ‘just so happened’ to be bought by a person who worked directly for Pharaoh. Or that when Joseph wound up going to prison that he went to the same prison that Pharaoh’s workers went to and that he “luckily” ran into someone who would be able to bring his name up to Pharaoh some day. It may seem like a random coincidence that when Jesus needed to borrow a boat from which to preach a message that He wound up running in to Simon (later known as Peter), who ‘just so happened’ to be cleaning out his nets.

What if Jesus had gone up to a guy named Willie? Would we be reading 1st and 2nd Willie today? It may seem like a fluke that Moses ‘just so happened’ to be pulled out of the water by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who in turn took him as her own, resulting in Moses getting the best education. Somehow I believe God knew that Moses needed that education to write the first five books of the Bible. And the list can go on and on.

Yes, we may make plans, but what about God’s plan?

Growing up as a kid on Maui Hawaii I had no earthly idea that I would be living in California and teaching God’s Word some day. Little did I know that the social skills I learned as I to live among a lot of different racial groups would actually prepare me to minister to multi-racial groups today. I did not know it when I met him, but by marrying a man from California with a different complexion than mine, who also speaks perfect English and was a entire different back grown than myself, the Lord was pairing me up with not only a wonderful husband, but also a ministry partner, who would help me reach all the people the Father desires for me to reach.



So what does this mean to you? It means that there is a method to the madness. It may seem like your life has taken a random course, but if you take the time to think (and pray) about it, you will realize that God’s hand has been with you the entire way. So make plans, that’s OK, but remember that you must seek to submit your plans to God’s overall plan for your life!

Father, I know that there is no such thing as luck. You knew, before the foundations of the world, that I would be where I am today and You planned accordingly. I thank You for blessing me to make plans, but I also thank You for leading me concerning them. If I ever find a disconnect between my plans and Your overall plan for my life, I will give way to You. At the end of the day, I know You have a plan for my life and I want to find it, follow it, and finish it before I die. Thank You for being so good to me. You were working with me well before I decided to work with you. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen!