LUCK OF THE DRAW

© 2008 by Deidre Campbell-Jones

March Theme: Luck

Luck: Job 3:26
Faith: Psalms 86:7

“Why me, Lord? Why me?” Have you asked that question? Have you asked it when times seemed insurmountably bad, inexplicably difficult, and amazingly horrific? Sometimes it seems trouble just blasts you out of nowhere with such force and even devastation that you find yourself feeling like, “What the heck!? What did I do to deserve that?” Divorce, death, abandonment, abuse… “Why me?”

Sometimes it is not even something hugely tragic, but maybe just mildly difficult – but if the circumstance seems surprising and unwarranted, it is still easy to ask, “why me? What happened?” Friends up and leave you seemingly for no reason, bank accounts get hugely overdrawn and all jacked up from a minor mistake, and errors of all sorts seem so magnified or unleash a domino effect of trouble and even if you don’t say it out loud or even to yourself, the feeling inside is still, “Why is this happening to me?”

Here’s my answer – “Just lucky, I guess!” Trouble surrounds us on every side. Trials and tribulations are promised to us. John 16:33 says, “…in the world, you will have tribulation.” It is not a promise given because God is a sadistic God, zapping people with problems for his own amusement. But instead the very world itself, in fact, all of creation as well as the very nature of mankind has been affected by sin. And where there is sin, there is trouble, bottom line.

In the third chapter and 36th verse of Job, he states it this way, “I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” It doesn’t matter what any of us do – or even to not do – trouble comes. It’s just the luck of the draw when it comes to you and how. Eventually we all get lucky and experience trouble – sometimes it’s nothing but little trouble, while others seem to be followed by nothing but big trouble – but either way, every one gets a shot at experiencing it. And even Job and his friends wondered, “Why?”

It seems to make sense to ask, “Why me” in times of trouble, right? But what about in times of great joy and excitement, thrill and blessings? Do we ever think to ask, “Why me” when good things happen? It’s still the luck of the same draw – why not you? We are no more deserving of the good things than we think we are of the bad things!

I have heard great people in society who have experienced a multitude of favor, or the most extreme blessings of life have also asked, “Why me?” I in fact have received a vision and calling for my own life that has seriously caused me to ask, “Me, Lord – are you sure?” And of course the Lord answers, “Why not you? Who else but you if this vision and call has come to you?”

You see, even though Peter says in Acts 10:34 that God is no respecter of persons, we also seem to subconsciously assume he’s not thinking of us or concerned about our daily lives, trials, tribulations, wants, desires and joys. We live in a country that values the “American Dream”. We live in a society that encourages pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. We tell our young people to keep their heads low, treat others the way you want to be treated, be fair, be honest, do good and be good. And while all of these may be good rules to live by, they come with the unspoken implication that if you do these things it’s the best way to avoid trouble. But trouble is coming no matter what and we as a people seem to spend less time (if no time at all) teaching our young people how to survive and deal with trouble when it comes. Oh yeah, and then we complain when we have to bail them out – but that’s a different bible study!

Also just as nonsensical is the fact that we push the ideals that if we work hard we’ll get the good reward, that if we do the right things, good things will happen. Be kind, don’t do drugs, stay in school, get a good job and all else will be added to you. No, it says, seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else will be added to you. Why then would we be promised “a good life” filled with no anxiety over our needs and blessed with the desires of our hearts if God is not a respecter of persons? It’s just the luck of the draw!

You see, it all boils down to: thoughts. Our God is thinking of us and He wants us the think of Him.

When times are good; when we can’t believe the unbelievable good fortune of our lives; when we discover a purpose and find our path; or when God blesses us in good measure, pressed down and shaken under we are to know that God is ever thinking of us. Psalms 139:17 “How precious are your thoughts towards me! How great is the sum of them!” The psalmist was asking, “Why me, Lord? Why would you think so highly of me?” And the Lord gives His answer to us all in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God has an expected end for all of us and it is of peace – not of evil! So what of all the evil in this world that will surround us at every turn? God’s answer goes on and on…

Psalms 32:7: “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalms 37:39: “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” Psalms 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalms 50:15: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

When we are in trouble He wants us to think of Him and when we are blessed He wants us to know He thinks of us. He is always thinking of us – in good times and in bad. Yes, we are going to have trouble – and in some cases, our own sin, poor judgment and influence are the cause. But mostly we’re just in the right place at the right time to get the luck of that draw – that’s what we’ve very nearly been promised. And when trouble comes, Palms 86:7 has another promise for us: “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.” God will be there to deliver us from our trouble!

His thoughts are not our thoughts – we think that trouble is our punishment, we think it’s our karma, we think it is bad luck. His thoughts are not our thoughts – when our lives are blessed with purpose, joy, good fortune and good tidings, we think of it as good luck. But His thoughts for us are of peace, not evil for the Lord has an expected end for us – it is a destiny filled with abundance, purpose, blessings and joy – if we would but call on Him, remember Him and seek Him first.

Case and point – instead of looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that’s being guarded by some lucky little leprechaun, look to the rainbow as the true covenant sign that God created it to be – God loves you and wants only His best life for you – and like I’ve said before, that’s the best luck in the world!

Power, love & peace -
~Min. Dez