God doesn’t do things through accidents.
He just doesn’t.
Things may happen through human error that are “accidents”, and God may use those instances, but God does not accidentally do something.
No. I promise you. He doesn’t.
I’m not claiming to have conquered the cerebral and divine understanding of free will, predestination, divine intervention, as well as every other term that describes the amount and type of “guidance” from God in our personal lives, but I do know my God does not work in accidents.
How do I know? …. Well, I’ve lived it of course.
How else would one come to understand how great of a God the Messiah is?
Living your life in such a connection with The Father will only help you grasp His Love and Presence. Rather if that is in a canyon just enjoying fellowship and worshipping God through songs and games and prayers, or if it is in reading the Word in bed at night, then waking up the next morning with your first thought being to thank our Lord for the day and His Presence, having that special connection will open your eyes. It will renew your faith. It will quench your thirst.
Accidents.
I woke up yesterday morning at 7:10, on my own when my alarm clock did not correctly go off. I need to leave for work each day by 7:25. I normally wake up at 6:50. I literally had just enough time to quickly get ready and get out the door on time.
I was contacted a few weeks ago about a car accident I witnessed a year ago, and I was asked to speak about it. I did recently and got a simple reward that is a blessing for myself at this time.
I pestered an old employer of mine about a possible job for myself at the beginning of the summer (when I had been looking at 3-4 different options at the time), and my pestering paid off as I got to work at a school I know, with good friends, and it is the school I came to get hired as a fifth grade teacher at. Little did I know back in May that this experience (as well as subbing and working three other years at this school) would help me land a teaching job at Overholser Elementary. If you stop and think about it, you can totally see God’s hand guiding me throughout certain employment environments and building different relationships to get me to this point. I honestly always knew it would happen. Throughout my strenuous office jobs, my AmeriCorps terms, and experience working in schools (and even the specific buildings and locations), I can clearly see God Masterpiece for me, in this time, coming perfectly together. How amazing is that?
I could go on in more detail about this plan and how uncanny it could seem to someone outside of the faith and belief in God’s omnipotence and His presence…
but I won’t.
Accidents.
God might use them, but believe me He doesn’t create them. They would cease to be accidents the second He put them in motion. It is impossible for God to make an accident.
I was reading in 2 Timothy yesterday and something inconspicuous jumped out at me.
“Timothy, please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.” – 2 Timothy 4: 9-13
Here Paul is writing his last letter out to Timothy and encouraging Timothy to carry on the ministry Paul has started. He speaks out on his lonliness and desperation to finish a few things important to his ministry. He wishes to have companionship.
One of the two things that stood out to me in this small section is that Luke is there with Paul. I researched a little bit deeper as I recalled that Luke had written Acts, and it turns out Luke spent a lot of time with Paul on missionary journeys, and while Paul was imprisoned in Rome. I had no background knowledge on the relationship between these two men, but I find it hugely interesting that one of the writers of the Gospel spent so much time with Paul, one of the most influential advocates of the Christian faith. Luke was like a researcher and reporter , in that he had no first-hand experience with Jesus, but sought the truth:
“Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have ben fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught” –Luke 1: 1-4
The influence of walking with Paul must have had some impact on Luke. After researching and putting together the Gospel of Luke, he teamed up with Paul and assisted Paul very much throughout his ministry to spread the Good News to the gentiles. I would love to know what that relationship was like. How their conversations went. How they encouraged each other. Luke and Paul walking and working together…
God does not produce accidents.
The second part that stood out to me in 2 Timothy was Paul requesting that Timothy bring Mark with him to Rome. Mark and Paul did not always get along (according to those little footnotes in my Bible at least). Acts 15: 36-41 tells of the account of Barnabas wanting to take Mark (his cousin) with Paul and himself to revisit the cities they had previously been to, and Paul strongly disagreeing. There are no major details I could find as to why Paul did not want Mark to join them, besides the fact that he broke off on his own journey earlier, away from Paul and Barnabas. Later Paul encourages the church at Colosse to welcome Mark if he visits them (Col. 4: 10). At about the same time Colossians was written Paul wrote Philemon, and to Philemon he wrote ”Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers” (Phil. 23-24). Here he considers Mark a co-worker, so it shows some sort of reconciliation has been made and a relationship mended. While the rift depicted in Acts may not be a major thing, it is enough to show the human side of these disciples of Christ. The cool thing is that Paul, in his last letter, wants Timothy to bring Mark. He desires to see him again. He wants Mark’s help in his ministry. This relationship of a man who wrote the Gospel of Mark, had a human experience with another important man in the history of Christianity, and still they relied on each other…. it amazes me. I cannot understate how awesome these connections must have been between these prominent Christian figures. Just think of how much influence Mark, Luke, and Paul have had over the Christian faith, and the fact that they did it working together and relying on each other.
God does not create accidents.
Nope. Never did, never will.
May the Peace of Christ be with you.
-CK
