Session 26
Coincidence? I think not.
From 1 Samuel: A 6-Week Devotional
Have you ever had something happen that you just couldn't quite explain? Something you chalked up to coincidence.
Maybe it’s how you met your spouse. You happened to be on the same flight. You thought you were being nice giving up your spot for someone who wanted an aisle seat. Instead, you were being repositioned so you could meet your spouse. Coincidence? I think not.
Every step we take has been carefully thought out and orchestrated by God.
On the surface, 1 Samuel 9 looks like a coincidence. At the beginning of the chapter, Saul is on a scavenger hunt looking for his father's lost donkeys. The search comes to a stalemate, so Saul sets out to get help finding the lost donkeys. His quest brings him to the prophet Samuel, who God had told that Saul would be coming and to anoint him as king over Israel. What seemed like a wild goose chase was part of God’s plan to put Saul where he needed to be to discover his next step. What looked like coincidence was providence.
Many times, what feels like aimlessly wandering through life, or chasing after donkeys, is God's repositioning us to experience the miraculous. God is always at work in our lives, just like He was in Saul’s. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We can take heart in knowing that God has a plan for our lives and wants what is best for us. Nothing is by chance. Psalm 37:23 (KJV) says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” Every step we take has been carefully thought out and orchestrated by God. What we see as coincidence is really His providence.
Reflection:
- Take a few minutes to look back on your life. Are there any instances you chalked up as coincidence but were actually God’s providence?
- Often we miss God’s work in our lives because we’re looking for other things, like donkeys. What’s one step you can take to be more intentional with your day today?