READ 2 Kings 5–8
Protagonists in fiction mysteries often say, “I don’t believe in coincidences.” Maybe that is why I like these stories and television shows such as NCIS and most of the British mysteries; their stars support a major truth about the events in this world — there are no coincidences because the Sovereign God is involved.
Most of the time, we mere mortals are clueless to what He is doing or why, not that Christians doubt His sovereignty; we are just not tuned into His plans. However, in today’s reading there is one incident that seems insignificant, yet illustrates the way God orchestrates what many might call a coincidence.
A few chapters back, Elisha restored the life of a woman’s son. She had taken care of him and when he knew that God was sending a famine, he gave her some advice:
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
She didn’t stay there forever, but when she came home, her property had fallen into the hands of other people . . .
And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”
Coincidence that Elisha’s servant was talking to the king when this woman approached? Not at all, considering the power God already had demonstrated to this women . . .
And while (Gehazi) was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.” (2 Kings 8:1–6)
God put her there at exactly the right time so the king would grant the restoration of not only her land but the crops it had produced in the seven years while she was gone. Notably, she was gone that length of time because the man of God told her what God had revealed to him, and this protected her from a far greater loss. In other words, she did what God arranged for her protection and survived the famine. When it was over, He also arranged for her to be in the right place at the right time to receive back what was rightfully hers from the king who was impressed by the deeds of the prophet, Elisha.
When I do what God says, even if it seems strange or self-protective or has nothing to do with anything important, I need to remember that it is God who weaves the fabric of life. I’ve no idea what that weaving looks like nor do I realize the importance of each thread. I only know that He does not make mistakes, nor does He ever have to rip something out and re-do it. There are no coincidences, only God who works all things according to the council of His own will.
The bigger picture is impossible to see, but this working of God is a promise that is personal:
I know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)
All things means all things, including those events that look like they have no reason for happening. For this truth, I am thankful to God and grateful that He is motivated by love and by pure goodness! He wants me to be like Jesus, and that is a good reason to trust Him.
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