I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11
Life doesn’t always work out the way you’d expect. The most talented people don’t always enjoy the most success. Natural ability or fortuitous circumstances don’t automatically produce people who will take advantage of these blessings. On the other hand, some successful people come from the most unlikely circumstances because determination and perseverance are important.
Parents and teachers may unwittingly encourage false expectations which leads to disappointment and disillusionment when opportunities don’t come our way and life doesn’t work out the way we imagined. Sometimes there’s no explanation, except the world is broken and life isn’t fair.
Life contains a certain amount of mystery. “Time and chance” plays a role in our circumstances. Sometimes a person is in the right place at the right time and an unforeseen opportunity has come their way. Likewise, others have missed out on what seemed to be a certainty.
However, Christians know that God holds all their circumstances in his hands. He can orchestrate situations with precision so we never have to worry about missing out on something God wants us to enjoy, whether that is a new job, a new relationship or a new adventure. If we live with a commitment to God and his purposes, we can experience a sense of peace that a good Father is looking after our prospects.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Matthew 10:29).
Let’s entrust ourselves to our Father’s care.
