Friday, April 20, 2012

Goodness and Mercy not Luck and Coincidence

"We often mislabel Goodness and Mercy. We call them luck or coincidence. In God's economy, luck and coincidence don't exist." -An Untroubled Heart by Micca Campbell.

 Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose

James 1:25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Ephesians 1:11  In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

Luck and coincidence claim things randomly happen without reason or purpose. Faith says God orders the steps of men and works all things for our good and His glory. Genuine faith requires us to have the confidence that God is still God even when things don't go the way we'd like. It trusts His plan even when we can't see the outcome. Luck says "it happened for no reason at all." Faith requires us to look deeper into the good and bad in our life to discern what God may be teaching us.

Psalm 145: 8-9,17 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.