I was listening to a story this week on CBS Sunday Morning that had to do with mathematical probabilities and how once in a while very unlikely things happen that defy the odds. The point was that we can take any instance of coincidence and mathematically come up with a model that makes the “impossible” seem “possible” every so often. While I believe that things can be coincidence, I have also believe that God is very active in our lives and through his omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience, anything is possible. I have witnessed far too many things in my life to believe that everything is explainable through some mathematical formula.
Another person interviewed during the same segment submitted that these occurrences aren’t statistical mathematical outcomes but they are examples of God’s interactions in our lives – reminders, if you will, of His daily presence in our lives. He referred to them as “Godwinks” and says that they are examples of hope, encouragement and love from God to those who believe in Him.
Personally, I could go on and on about all the things that I have seen that defy explanation. While I accept that there are long odds on many things, I choose to believe that the simpler explanation is that God is active and present in my life. There are those among us who believe that God started everything and then just sat back to see what would happen. That he is just watching and is not active anymore – ever since he started everything in motion. On the other hand, there is another group of believers who think that God started everything but is not just sitting there watching – he is still active and involved and present every step of the way. That’s the way I choose to believe.
That’s because I believe that God gave us free will. By that I mean that although God may already know what choices we will make in our lives, we have the freedom to decide for ourselves what we will do. It is not all pre-ordained for us. I believe that we have the freedom to accept or reject God – just like we have the ability to either accept or reject the idea of Godwinks.
The verse for this evening is from the gospel of Matthew. God Himself lets us know that He is present with us. In fact, in Matthew 28:20, we are told, “… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That sure confirms that He is with us, don’t you think? My encouragement this evening is that God wants to send you messages of hope, encouragement and love. My prayer is that you will be aware of God’s interventions in your life and that every once in a while, you will smile when God sends you a little wink…
Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…