3 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

1 Kings 6:1-7:22
John 4:46-5:16

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

John 4:51-54 (CSB): “While he was still going down, his servants met him saying that his boy was alive. He asked them at what time he got better. ‘Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him,’ they answered. The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was also the second sign Jesus performed after he came from Judea to Galilee.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Some people believe in coincidences (as it is defined in contemporary culture). The informed Christian believes in providence.

An example of what many call a “coincidence” was the birth and death of Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain). He was born in 1835, the year that Halley’s Comet passed closest to our sun. In 1909, he wrote:

“I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835; it’s coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It would be a great disappointment in my life if I don’t. The Almighty has said, no doubt: ‘Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.'”

Lo and behold, Mark Twain died the next year of a heart attack, the day after Halley’s Comet was the closest to our sun.

Many would say that is a coincidence. But coincidence has no mind. It comes from a worldview that does not acknowledge God’s existence or His oversight over all His creation. Therefore, coincidences are just happy accidents observed by atheists or agnostics.

But an informed Christian doesn’t believe in coincidences. We believe in providence. We believe that our God rules over all He has made and guides it to His desired end. When something happens and others are prone to call it a coincidence, we call it providential.

That’s what we read about in the verses I have chosen for today. The father raced home, heard his son was well, and asked what time he recovered. He did the calculations and realized that his son began to recover at the same time that Jesus proclaimed him to be healed. Coincidence? Nope! That’s providential!

So be very careful never to use the word “coincidence.” Instead, speak from a worldview informed by Scripture. Acknowledge God’s presence and His control over all things. When something happens and others are tempted to call it a coincidence, acknowledge that there is a God in Heaven who orchestrated the events in question in His way and timing and for His purposes.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you cultivate an even more biblical view of His sovereign control over all His creation.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what the Bible has to say about coincidences, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does the Bible say about coincidence?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)