Saturday, June 13, 2009

No Random Arrows

"An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." 1 Kings 22:34

The word "randomly" here made me smile. Did the author of 1 Kings have tongue-in-cheek as he penned those words? Did he really believe that arrow was the work of chance? The kings death had been foretold, albeit mocked. That arrow flew in direct proportion to God's prophecy. Do you realize how exact that shot would have been to pierce so specifically between the joints of the king's armor? That was not a big bullseye, but a tiny target.

I've been reminded today that God is in control. "Random", although a word used often as an expression by the younger generation, cannot be found in God's vocabulary. He does nothing by chance, but all by design.

That health crisis - an arrow precisely chosen.
That job loss - a preplanned walk.
That disappointed relationship - a foreknown journey.
That struggle with emotions - a watched over battle.
That prodigal child - a chapter, but not the end of the story.
That financial stress - an opportunity for God to provide.

Whatever we're facing, we can rest in realizing it isn't random. That "arrow" had to pass through the bow of God's permissive will.



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1 comment:

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Nothing random about our God... I take great comfort in knowing that he saw it coming before I did.

Thanks for pointing me back to this post. Love you.

peace~elaine