I Meant to do That

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. --Psalm 33:8-11

Some of the best meals to come out of my kitchen have happened quite by accident. I’ll start preparing one thing and realize I don’t have the proper ingredients to make it according to the recipe. In a fit of creativity, I’ll concoct some imaginative combinations in an attempt to get the meal to look right or at least smell appealing. As my husband oohs and aahs over the finished product, he’ll inevitably inquire “what’s in this?” Sheepishly I have to admit that I haven’t kept track of the ingredients and most likely may not be able to reproduce that particular delicacy.

I have heard an expression stating “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” When God sets to work to create something fabulous, nothing happens by chance. His plan is always carried out to the letter. What impresses me most about this is that God is not limited in the ways and means of accomplishing His purpose for His people. A person does not have to know God in order to be used effectively by Him.

In many ways throughout history, God has orchestrated the actions of people and the timing of certain events to conform to His plan. One of my husband’s favorite examples of this is in how God set in motion the laws of astrophysics such that the Magi were able to follow the star to Bethlehem, where baby Jesus had just been born.

None of us is outside of God’s plan. The reality of His existence is not contingent on our belief in Him. Our faith enables us to better understand His ways however, and it gives us hope that no matter what is happening, God is sovereign. With God there are no accidents, no coincidences. God is never forced to rely on a contingency plan or follow a detour. His will is always going to be carried out in spite of us, but He invites us to come along for the ride, if we’re willing.