God and Chance

I was reading my devotions today and came across this verse in Acts 1:

23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen 25 as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.

The last verse, where they cast lots, caught my eye. Now this isn’t the first time that lots were cast in the Bible. (In fact, one version says that they picked straws.) Many times, when a decision was to be made, first there was prayer, then casting lots; as in this case. The Urim and Thummim were used in this manner also.

Now I am not opposed to casting lots, but this verse made me think of how faithful the disciples were in their walk with the Lord. Think about it.... they had to pick a runner up for the position of the last disciple, one that Jesus had handpicked. That’s no small task! They nominated two, then prayed, then cast lots. But here’s the kicker.... once the lots were cast and Matthias "won", that was it. Decision made, end of story. What would our walk be like if we had that kind of faith? No second guessing, no waffling back and forth....

Then I think of us and how God, in His goodness, practically throws opportunities and blessings in our laps and still we constantly second guess him......sometimes we aren’t even able to see or enjoy His goodness because we're still looking for a neon, flashing billboard next to our blessing saying "HERE YOU GO.....FROM GOD".

He is so good, so faithful, and knows us so well. He doesn’t leave us stranded, even when it can feel like it. The apostles knew how to trust Him. We also need to strive to have that kind of faith and steadfast trust in Him.