Walking with the Wise #262: In His Hands

“The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.”
—Proverbs 16:33

In the Old Testament, one of the ways of discerning God’s will was through the casting of lots, which involved using objects that were tossed (think dice), whereby how the objects fell would reveal the clear choice between two options (think of the numbers on the dice). This was often done “before the Lord” (cf. Joshua 18:8), as a means of discerning His direction. And while it seems strange that that’s how God’s will was sometimes discovered (and it’s not the way we are to do it today), Solomon wants us to understand that it’s really God who determined what the results would be. His point is that God is in charge. Now please don’t misunderstand me -- that’s not how we discern God’s will today. We have His Word speaking to us through His Spirit, but the principle in mind here is definitely applicable to us. God is sovereign and He is the one who is directing the events of our lives for His glorious purposes.

God is in charge of the details of our lives, and while He does allow us to make decisions of our own, it is important for us to know that His will will always come to pass. Our responsibility is to trust in Him, applying His Word to our lives, making sure that we are doing what He has called us to do. We need not try and take matters into our own hands, but to wait and trust, leaving it in His hands, resting in who He is while making sure that we are about the task He has for us.

Have you tried to wrestle control from God? Or do you trust in Him? Do you believe that your life is spiraling out of control? Or do you see God’s hand at work? If you have sinned by trying to live life on your own terms away from Him, then the only answer is repentance. Turn back to Him and cede control over to Him, because He is the one who is bringing history to its conclusion for His unimaginable glory and your indescribable joy. Amen.