I've asked many Christians, 'do you believe in luck?' I've never had a one who answered in the affirmative!

I might be wrong, but the way I figure it, if one doesn't believe in luck, one must then believe- either God has ordained every second of time for every organic and inorganic object. With this believe, He controls every person on earth throughout the universe, in will, movement and behavior.

This would mean that: 'I have no say in any event of my life'. God brings into my life what he wills and somehow coordinates every thing according to a predetermined pattern and outcome. Or, 'God somehow both causes and coordinates every person and event to make things happen -and with these things, my 'Free Will', and every other person's' Free Will', works perfectly together. All cooperating with God's predetermined outcome.....This seems illogical to me.

Somehow it is comforting to Christians to believe God coordinates every molecule in the universe. Personally I don't think it is necessary to believe this to be comforted; or have assurance of God's ultimate will taking place. Isn't it enough to believe 'nothing can separate us from the love of God', and he can, and often does, intervene in our lives? Besides this, he also offers us the prerogative of prayer. By this, when we pray within the boundaries of his will, we are cooperating with him, as well as doing the part he has commissioned us to do.

'Ecclesiastes 9:11 "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not (always) to the swift, nor the battle (always) to the strong, neither yet bread (always) to the wise, nor yet riches (always) to men of understanding, nor yet favor (always) to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all."

We are born, live our life, enjoy the prosperity, or the sufferings of the culture around us. Sometimes, and often, God intervenes on our behalf; but this is the exception and not the rule. Usually, if there is a flu bug going around, if we don't take precautions, we'll get it. If there is something more serious, we'll get that as well.

The writer of Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyan, was out late one night, riding his horse to the next village to preach the gospel. He got wet during a rainstorm, caught pneumonia and soon died. Had he lived in our age, he not only would have been driving a nice warm car, had he gotten sick, he'd have modern medical help, and most likely live.

Close to my home I once visited a small cemetery. It dates back to the early 1800's. While walking through it I was saddened by a few grave stones that marked where entire families of children had succumbed to scarlet fever and died. The eulogy on these stones clearly demonstrated that these families were devout, and loved God. Yet, some would have us believe it was predestined for these parents to loose all their children! That in some mysterious way it fit into God's grand scheme to 'make' these children suffer and die.

We must conclude if God ordains the movement of every molecule in the universe, it is not just the dying that must be in God's manipulation, but the suffering as well! This makes no sense to me at all.

This is not to say, 'God is not capable of controlling every molecule in the universe'. I believe he is capable. Neither am I saying, 'God never intervenes in the affairs of men. Rather, I am saying, when he does, it is conditional, and not constant.

Foreknown does not mean preordained. If we were high on a mountain, and from this vantage point we could see the eventual collision of two vehicles; this would not mean 'we caused' the collision. Just because God knows, prophecy's, and is able to cause events, does not mean he always does, or usually does.

There are things we can do to help our health and there are things we can do to hurt our health. But it goes further: there are things that can help our emotional health; there are things we can do to help our spiritual health. We can learn to overcome our fears, or we can continue to live with them dominating us.

If there is such a thing as 'chance', it could mean we might get caught in an earthquake. We might get be caught in a military coup. A tree might fall on our house. We might develop a tumor. What I am suggesting could be proved statistically: In those things that are not self induced, I think it is safe to say believers suffer as much as those who are without God in this world.

So, what  is supposed to separate the believer from the non-believer? It is not the external influences of their lives, but the actions and decisions of the person reacting to them.

 The believer is not immune from the hazards of living, any more than they are immune from Poison Oak. Believers are no longer powerless to react properly to life's difficulties. 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...' does not mean I will always kill the Philistines around me. It means that when the Philistines are all around me, I have power available to react to them as God would have me react.

Most believers have the idea, God is either very angry with them, or because they have been good - happy to bless them. This creates an undercurrent of thinking that every action of ours causes a reaction from God. Though this may not be entirely untrue, it is generally untrue. A better view of God is that as a parent, he watches us, not as if we were toddlers, but more as if we were adult children. He is not constantly spanking us, or giving us treats to encourage us. A wise parent will not attempt to continually control their adult children. But a successful parent, even one who has a great inheritance available, will, for the sake of building character, wisdom, and maturity, allow their child to make mistakes, suffer and learn from their experiences. Yes, he does chastise us at times, but sickness is not always chastisement. Though we are not of the world, we still are in the world. Sometimes we're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

In addition to God being a wise Father, he is also good. He defines good. He is not just a loving, spoiling, dotting parent, but he is exceeding good, fair and just. The scripture says he sends the rain on the just and the unjust. He shows not favoritism, is no respecter o f persons. With few exceptions all mankind, including believers, are subject to the trials and tribulations of life. 

However, believers do have advantages over those without God. First, we have a very real hope, knowing a God who we can trust regardless of our circumstances. Secondly, we know that suffering is temporary, and cannot be compared to what will counter balance 'all suffering' throughout eternity. Finally, we have a God who hears the prayers of his children. If we pray according to his wishes we become partners in his plans. In truth, some of his plans can't be accomplished until his children pray. But prayer is not magic, we cannot manipulate God. It is only as we cooperate with him do we get what he wants us to have.

What a privileged people we are. Not only are we redeemed from a death sentence, and totally undeserving of any rights, we have been given a partnership in framing our lives and the lives around us. How this works is as simple as a football game: Imagine God as a quarterback. In the huddle he calls the play for the entire team. For instance, the wide receiver is told to go out, hesitate at 10 yards, but continue running and expect a pass 20 yards up field. If he does the play correctly, he can simply raise his arms, as if requesting the ball, and it will be placed perfectly in his hands. This is how prayer works; God calls the play, we raise our arms and ask what he instructed us, and we go on to finish his plan successfully.

Where most of us fail, is we never make the huddle! We guess at God's plan, we're independent and are doing our own thing.  It's not good enough to make the huddle once in a while, we have to be team players with God, always wanting to know his will for our lives.

Those who 'make the huddle' have a tremendous advantage in life. Yes, eventually we will die; this is part of God's plan. We may even die a painful death, but it is not our physical lives that are important: When my sons were young, they were always crashing, falling, bumping something. They had many broken bones, black eyes and bruises. As a father, I knew this is part of life and I could accept watching my children suffer these things. But what was unacceptable to me, and what I worked for most, was trying to teach them not to have fear. Fear, depression, anxiety are diseases of the mind and spirit, which keep us from seeing things as they are. Though we may have suffering in our flesh, if our minds are clear, and we understand God's ways, then pain is only physical and only temporary. But if our mind is far from God's ways, the pain stays in our mind and becomes chronic, then we are without remedy until we learn to rest in God's promises. For He has said in John 16:33, 'These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.'
By the way, that word tribulation is translated from the Greek several ways. Here is how many times in some the words: tribulation 21, affliction 17, trouble 3, anguish 1, persecution 1, burdened 1` 

Even a sloppy reader of scripture, if he is honest, will see that the best of God's people suffer. It is because we are in a corrupt and unstable world. Sometimes God intervenes in the lives of men, and for us terrestrials, it is a wonderful joy when he does. However, God will ultimately get more glory if we are healed of our fears than if we are healed of our diseases. Because this will mean we have 'perfect love', and isn't that the point?

Ro 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

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