It's hard to figure out coincidence sometimes. Or at least hard to decide what is random and what is God's hand just for our sakes. Or even from the "other side."

As students of the book of Job, we get a glimpse of how some things work. God is in control but he gives the devil the ability - the permission - to make things happen. Jesus makes statements that seem to also indicate God has a direct hand in our lives, talking about they ways he provides for us in very physical ways.

There is also free will involved, that sort of hedges our bets as it were. David writes "once I was young and now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread." In other words, David, a man who had great adversity in his own life, believed firmly that when he was true to God he was taken care of. I suppose the corollary to that is when you are disobedient you get what you deserve. Obviously the beliefs held by one of the thieves on the cross.

Yet, using that very example, we see that sometimes bad things happen, such as the crucifixion of Jesus, which are unpleasant but actually good, even glorious things result from it. And to turn the coin over, the birth of Jesus was a wonderful event of great tidings that led to the deaths of who knows how many 2 year old and younger children by the hand of Herod. I don't think God desired that, it was an action from the "other side."

Given the degree of difficulty in determining when something is occurring if it is a good or bad thing, I suppose we ought to just not worry about it. We should just do right, know that in the end God will take care of it, and move ahead. However that also doesn't seem to pan out every time. For example, Saul killed Christians in the belief he was doing God's will. I don't believe he was bloodthirsty and did it just for the sake of hurting people. It seems very possible, and considering his abrupt change of heart likely, that he didn't want to do it on a personal level but was doing what he thought best for God. That is just supposition but it seems reasonable. I bet he was glad to stop doing it!

It was the right thing to do to steady the ark from falling off an ox cart. It was the right thing to do to teach people about the baptism of John, as Apollos did. However we can't just do whatever and believe that pleases God. We should do what's right in the knowledge of what God says is right, and we should seek to further our learning. When things happen, good or bad, we should evaluate them and pray about them. Is this good thing happening because the devil is trying to lead us away? Or is this bad thing happening because God wants us to change or grow? We must consider carefully.

But coincidence can mean nothing at all, too. I have had a wheelbarrow that the barrow, the tub, was broken on. The wood was rotten. In fact all I had was a wheel, the rest was junk. The other day I was driving along and someone had put out with the trash, I kid you not, a wheelbarrow in very good shape except for one thing. Yes, it had no wheel. Is there some cosmic plan that I should have a working wheelbarrow? Seriously?

And coincidence can be an opportunity. I think it was Melvin Curry, a preacher who often visited our church in Colorado Springs, who was there one day preaching about baptism not knowing one of our elders was cleaning the baptistery and had started draining it that morning. Exactly as he wound up his lesson with "we have water here to baptize you today" a loud slurping noise came from the baptistery and we all knew the water had just finished running out. Melvin looked in, looked back, and didn't miss a beat.

"We can fill that right back up just for you!" And we did.

Randy