Is It a Coincidence?

One day, an elderly man decided to go into town to run some errands. He lived in the country and that day determined he needed to get things down in town.

While in town, he started not feeling well. He became dizzy and short of breath. He grew weaker and had to sit down. Someone noticed and called 911. Because he was in town, first responders reached him quickly. Within 15 minutes, he was at the hospital and diagnosed as having a stroke. Within 30 minutes, he had already been administered medication. Within a few days, he left the hospital with almost no effects from suffering a stroke.

Had this man stayed home, he likely would have died. A 911 call from his house, if anyone had noticed, would have meant a response time of at least 20 minutes. Then, he would have another 20-minute ambulance ride to the hospital. By the time a diagnosis would be made and medicine administered, he would have suffered permanent damage. He may have died.

This man was a believer in Christ. He doesn't believe in coincidences. He believes he was supposed to be in town so that he could get the help that he needed.  That everything happened for a reason.

What do you believe?

That's an important question. In a lot of ways, it is the core of your theology. Do you believe everything is controlled by God or are we completely on our own?

In the book of Ruth, Ruth happens to be gleaning in the field of a relative of her late husband. The owner of the field happens to come to his field at the very moment she is there. The author of Ruth writes in a sarcastic way to let us know these two things were not a coincidence. Ruth was meant to glean in this field. Boaz was meant to arrive just when he did. Eventually, these two people will get together and produced the family line of David and Jesus.

I don't believe in coincidences. Things don't just happen. I believe all things are allowed by God or decreed by God. Anything else means he is not in control. If he's not in control, he certainly can't be a benevolent God.

So the question is: do you believe in coincidences or is God in completely control? It can't be both. It has to be one or the other. And your answer to that question will define your theology.

So, what's your answer?

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