Against you and you only…a Leadership Lesson from Joseph

After Israel’s most beloved king, David, slept with Uriah’s wife and killed him to hide the adultery, David confessed before the Lord in Psalm 51, “Against you alone have I sinned.” There seems to be a potentially long list of offended parties, but before the Lord, David takes ownership of the sin as being against the God of heaven alone.

If we let that simmer in the background, notice these verses from my devotional reading this week with me. Joseph is a slave working in the household of one of Egypt’s rich and powerful leaders. The man’s wife hit on Joseph, who was apparently quite handsome, but he repeatedly rebuffed her advances. At one such encounter, she really poured on the intensity, and this is how Joseph handled it:

8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.

9“There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”

Genesis 39:8–9 (NASB95)

While there may be a dozen possible lessons, I want to focus on the last phrase and draw a few applications.

First, Joseph did not choose to view his assignment (in enslavement) as an interruption of God’s plan for his life but as a fulfillment of it. Admittedly, I would struggle to see enslavement as a sacred assignment from God.

Second, Joseph’s master had entrusted great responsibility to him, but Joseph ultimately saw that trust as being from God. How often do we think this way? This great (or dead-end) job is a divine assignment from the Lord. This staff is an assignment from the Lord. This community is an assignment from the Lord.

Third, Joseph’s actions at his work were inextricably linked to his worship of God. “I really want to tell that customer what I think!” is a response of worship…but likely not the one we would say we wanted to portray. That employee coaching sessions and difficult decisions… are all reflections of obedience to the God who divinely assigns.

Fourth, as a man and a leader, Joseph operated according to a specific moral compass beyond his own wisdom. There are countless examples of what people may call “situational ethics” in the workplace. Stealing is wrong, but not in every case. Hard work is right but not required in every instance. Integrity is a quid pro quo arrangement owed to someone worthy of integrity…and that someone is always the Lord, not the person we are dealing with.

What might the world, our workplace, and our worship space look like if we approached our every decision as directly responsive to and accountable before God? What if every assignment were seen as divinely orchestrated? What if our actions and reactions were viewed as those of an ambassador rather than an autonomous actor?

Two things that decades of senior leadership have taught me: First, I have not gotten it right nearly enough. As a leader, I have sometimes been impetuous, self-absorbed, and focused on the wrong measures of success. Second, God has never given up on me. Sure, others have. Some others have seen an opportunity for a quick fix (like Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery or those who profited from Joseph’s gift and life). Yet, God has always been faithful, and some of the most significant and impactful lessons have been learned in the dry cisterns of the wilderness, the oppressive environments of Egypt’s jails, or at the receiving end of false accusers who didn’t get their way and acted emotionally in their accusations. Sometimes, the refining fire of God cannot be experienced well except in the most difficult of circumstances. That’s where God forges leaders. Leaders who God uses to provide for His people as well as those who contributed to the leader’s suffering. So, leader…if you’re suffering, know that God can work in it, has assigned you to it, and will walk you through it…. for “What man intends for evil, the Lord uses for good.” (Genesis 45:5-8, Genesis 50:20.)

Resolved to Embrace the Grace of Generosity

But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.  2 Corinthians 8:7 (NASB95) 

Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash

This sixth resolve is not new to me; however, I think it is important to recommit periodically. It is not enough, spiritually speaking, to do the right thing; rather, we are called to do the right thing with the right motivation. My personality lends itself toward order. Routines and disciplines give order to my life. However, that order can become legalistic or thoughtless adherence without much effort at all. It can become comfortable, or at least more comfortable than change.

One of the commitments that Jodi and I made years ago was to live a lifestyle that facilitated living generously. We could live in a bigger home or drive nicer vehicles, but we prioritize being generous and adjust our lifestyles accordingly. I am resolved to be more generous in 2025 than before, so I can live more dependently on grace than ever.

Below is an article I published in 2021 on this site about generosity. I hope it connects the dots and is an encouragement to you.

How does God demonstrate grace to you? Grace, or undeserved favor, is something we talk about often in the church, but do we understand it? We know that we are saved by grace (Eph 2:8), and we, along with the entire universe, are sustained by grace (Heb 1:3), but do we recognize God’s grace in our sanctification/growth? 

As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, he challenges them to experience their growth in God’s grace through generosity. He begins chapter 8 by commending (bragging on) the Macedonian churches that were an example both of generosity but also of God’s favor (vv.1-5). He then commends the Corinthians for their growth in grace in faith, knowledge, proclamation, zealous perseverance, and in love. (Yes, this is the same church that he spent so much time correcting for messiness in their midst as well.) 

Notice how v.7 ends: “that you may abound in this gracious work also.” We know that they were then abounding in the five things he just mentioned: faith, knowledge, proclamation, zealous perseverance, and love. We also know that this is only possible because of God’s kindness toward them (grace) as He grew them in these areas. Paul knew that God was graciously working in them to grow them in the area of generosity as well. This church made a commitment at some point in the past (vv.10-11), and now Paul was urging them to see it through. As with the Macedonians, Paul charged this church to remember their commitment to God first and then to the needs of the saints by God’s grace. 

Here is where the wheels fall off for some. Sometimes, we view God’s work in our lives as Him desiring to get something from us, as if He were lacking and we were going to provide for His need. In actuality, as Paul expresses here, God is seeking to do something in this church (the people) and did not want them to miss it. They could only experience God’s blessing in this area as they yielded to His gracious calling on their lives. This is why Paul focuses not on the activity of giving, but on their desire to give (vv. 10, 12). Paul saw the opportunity to join God in providing for the saints in another place as God’s gracious work in the lives of the Corinthians.

Have you ever lacked fulfillment? Have you ever desired to be part of something greater than yourself? Have you ever wanted to see God move powerfully in your midst? Could the answer to these desires be as close as simply trusting His gracious work in an area of life that has been difficult to fully surrender to Him? If so, the answer, and the pathway to abundant life (John 10:10) is in a renewed commitment (both desire and action) to His gracious work. Let’s choose to never miss God’s blessings because we did not recognize His gracious work. 

Resolved to Do First Things First

Photo by Courtney Cook on Unsplash

Priorities communicate something. We make time for the things that are most important to us. Some years ago, a mentor of mine asked me about my golf game. I told him I wanted to but didn’t have time. He made a statement I will never forget: “Chris, Golf, to me, is like your quiet time. If you really want to do it, you will.”

This article is an update to one I published in 2020. The bones are the same as they were back then. I hope it helps.

It. Never. Fails. Someone has a better idea. Their “philosophy” is better than mine. Often times though, particularly in our social media world, people with better philosophies have just that: a philosophy. There is no action. No change. Just an idea.

Not long back, I was listening to a guy tell me his philosophy of evangelism. He shared some trendy new perspectives that would make any old evangelism professor cringe. It was the BEST…according to this guy. Then…the telling question (or at least my “Dr. Phil” version of it): “How’s that working for you?” The silence was deafening.

I have resolved to commit afresh to the discipline of personal worship with the Lord. Some call this “quiet time” but I prefer to think of it as a personal (not private) worship opportunity I avail myself of daily.

My day generally begins around 5:10 AM. That’s when the coffee finishes brewing.  

  • Coffee. Obviously, this is important, or the Book of Hebrews wouldn’t be there. [Think about it].
  • Prayer. 2-5 mins. This is more about me talking to God. “Lord, help me to see and hear from you today. Give me wisdom and clarity. Speak to me. Give me the courage to accept You and Your Word as you speak.”
  • I read 4-5 devotionals first. 5-8 mins. (Chambers, Piper, Blackaby, Begg, and some short-term devotional on varied topics throughout the year. Topics like manhood, leadership, marriage, prayer, praise, etc.) These devotionals seem to prime my thinking and the part of my brain that applies truth.
  • Bible Reading Plan. 10-15 mins. I read from a structured annual Bible Reading Plan. (This Year’s is “The Navigator’s Book-at-a-time” Reading Plan, available on the YouVersion Bible App. While reading, I underline, highlight, and write notes in the margin if my mind is carried to a place.
    • Take Note- This is not a deep dive reading process of cross-references or word studies. It is the Scripture at a 5,000-foot level. I am looking for big-picture themes and verses that catch my attention.
    • [Also, I try to read in a different translation every year to keep it fresh. This year is the NASB95].
  • I journal (as led) and pray things that God brings to mind. 5-15 mins. A lot of my journaling is archived here on this site. I also have many notes in my Evernote App that are too seminal to share on this site, or that God is working on me with. My journal notes could also be a prompt for deeper study. That is the bulk of my journaling. As for prayer, this part is about reflecting and listening.
  • Extra-biblical reading. (10-20 mins) I read the news highlights and interesting articles in Baptist Press. I may read articles from favorite theologians, academics, preachers, and some entertaining weirdos [smile]. I may also select readings from different-minded publications (I’d put the Huffington Post and half my X feed in here).

A couple of considerations:

  • I try not to hurry. As you can see, I average around 40-60 mins. My deadline is 6am, so I can get a workout in before leaving for the office.
  • This is a morning discipline for me. I find my mind is sharpest in the morning, so this is my early routine.
  • I don’t have the “extra hour” either. Yep, someone was thinking it. I’d do that but I don’t have time in the morning! Well, neither did I. So, I changed my other routines. I go to bed earlier than most and skip a lot of late television.
  • This works for ME. Remember, this is not my philosophy but my activity. It may not work for you. It may be too long, or too early, or too “anything.” Don’t mimic what I do because I do it. Do what works for you, but DO IT in a disciplined manner.

Two quick cautions:

  • Don’t set the bar too low. I know some guys tell me that they do their Bible while driving in the morning. I listen to audible books and podcasts too, but this time of devotional discipline is DEVOTED (see what I did there) to the Lord. It is His time. I even have a favorite place to do it. Even if it were 15 minutes a day devoted to Him…might it be worth it to focus on Him rather than the person who almost ran you off the road texting? [smile]
  • Don’t get discouraged. If you set a lofty goal and can’t hang with it, adjust it. Shrink it to what you CAN do. Build from there if you find it necessary. That’s what I did.

Resolved to Help Others Succeed

The natural life is one of self-service. The supernatural life is one of serving others. Jesus said-

Mark 10:45 (NASB95)

45“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

No one faults another person for working hard, being focused, exhibiting drive, or winning. All of these are good things. They are, I would argue, proper forms of worship when sourced in the right motivation. After all, all of life is worship and, therefore, is worthy of our very best efforts to the glory of God.

Zig Ziglar once said- “You can have everything in life you want if you help other people get what they want.” While this statement is certainly not inspired in the same way as the Scriptures, it speaks to the relationship between serving others and experiencing true joy.

What I am advocating here is both attitude and action. Let’s choose to focus on the success of others and then work to make that a reality. Let’s esteem the success of others and help them reach the summit. Truthfully, doing so can propel us to our own success…or as I am implying with this resolve, helping them succeed IS our success. Any reward we experience beyond that will be due to the grace of God.

Resolve to Articulate Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB95)

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This resolve is not new to me but one I must constantly remind myself of. Being grateful is a function of observation and understanding. You must recognize the object of gratitude as something you were not entitled to but the product of someone else’s kindness. Something undeserved.

There is a type of good manners that is reflected in expressing gratitude. If a server at your favorite restaurant refills your glass or serves your food, it is polite to say, “Thank you.” This expression is an acknowledgment of the person and their action. The server’s actions are motivated by employment. The smile, the tone, and the helpfulness of a recommendation may come from a heart of helpfulness and kindness, but the basic performance of duty did not. I would argue (biblically) for the helpfulness of kindness, but the “gratitude I am speaking of comes from a place of recognizing grace.

If a co-worker picks up your duties so you can get home early, that’s grace. If someone holds the door for you, that’s grace. If God causes the sun to rise, your heart to beat, and the birds to comfort you with a song in the Spring…that’s grace. It is undeserved kindness…and it is all around us.

There is no greater expression of grace than our forgiveness and right standing with God (for those who follow Jesus). To settle the spiritual debt of my rebellion against God, Jesus walked the earth, lived perfectly, and substituted Himself at the judgment of God’s wrath against sin/rebellion. He did so, not for His own sin, but for mine. The resulting “Paid” that I received, stamped on my “sin bill,” is all by God’s grace. An undeserved kindness! Furthermore, the benefit of this grace extends into all areas of my life. It provides peace, confidence, fellowship with others, life, breath, provision…everything! So, when I rise early for the privilege of work, eat a meal, put gas in my truck and pay for it from my checking account, shop in a market, or simply sit in quiet this morning in a warm home with electricity and heat and a cup of coffee…I am GRATEFUL because every element is a byproduct of God’s kindness, favor, and provision in my life. So, I say, THANK YOU…to the Lord in humility and gratitude before Him; and “Thank you,” to the vessels through which He chooses to provide these things…as an acknowledgment of their presence and actions.

Be grateful today. Ask the Lord to enlighten your eyes and mind to His kindness toward you as you acknowledge it. Thank you for following along. It is an undeserved kindness to me and encourages my heart.

I Resolve…to Get Uncomfortable

Over the last two days, I have shared two areas of my life that I am resolved to make adjustments in.

Resolve#1- I will present a more beautiful picture of Christ.

Resolve#2- I resolve to pursue understanding and represent the positions of others well.

As we continue, I hope you’ll consider with me my third resolve.

Resolve #3:

Get Uncomfortable.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

17They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18And He said, “Bring them here to Me.”

Matthew 14:16-18 (NASB95)

28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 14:28–29 (NASB95)

No one has to get psyched up for “comfortable.” Characteristically though, comfortable is on many people’s bucket list. They share it with me from time to time. They are working for a few more years so they can retire comfortably. They upgraded the car to be more comfortable. They switched jobs to make a more comfortable living or to have a more comfortable work environment. But…and this is my loaded question…is comfortable the place where we see God move?

In case you are wondering, I am not commending asceticism. I am committing to doing uncomfortable things for a greater purpose. Comfortable is walking by a needy person while looking at our phone. Uncomfortable is stopping to listen to their story and to introduce Jesus. Comfortable is staying put with a maintenance workout program. Uncomfortable is setting a goal and leaning into it.

What’s true of the Scriptures is that most often, the ones who saw the power of God revealed were in an uncomfortable situation. The disciples watched Jesus feed five thousand men and their families with a single sack lunch. Peter defied gravity. The blind, the infirm, and the grieving…all experienced the extraordinary power of God…by choosing the uncomfortable.

In Experiencing God, Blackaby challenges us to find where God is at work and join Him in it.  Where is the Lord at work around you?

Perhaps this resolution connects in your heart and you would be bold enough to join me in making it.

“Lord, show me where you are at work so that I may, by your grace, join you in it. Show me someone each day that I can share your goodness with. Invite me to step out of the boat as you did with Peter. Give me courage to pursue the uncomfortable for your glory. Amen.”

Check Back on Monday for the Fourth Resolve of 2025! Have a great weekend!

I resolve… my second commitment for 2025

Yesterday, I shared the first of my 2025 Resolves/resolutions/objectives. You can see it HERE if you wish.

Resolve #1: I will present a more beautiful picture of Christ. Instead of focusing on declaring what God is against, I will focus my time on the beauty that God wants all people to experience. I resolve to present the hope of Christ in such lofty and expansive ways that someone would have to be crazy to decide against it!

Now for the second resolve for 2025-

Resolve #2-

I resolve to pursue understanding and represent the positions of others well.

In our soundbite and “gotcha” oriented norms, particularly regarding social media, there is an inherent reward in sensationalism. If you can catch and clip a soundbite of someone saying something that is shocking…or present someone’s view as out of touch, you gain approval from everyone else! For years, this has been a burden.

At a church I served many years ago, one of my staff members soundbited a sermon and accused me of He did not speak to me directly, only began circulating my alleged error among people. When I confronted him, he repented, immediately resigned the church and started a new one down the street with several families that he was close to. 

Now I will admit that my statement was imprecise. It was an impromptu illustration using a song lyric from a Southern Gospel group. While factually accurate on its face, the statement was not responsible. It did more to obscure than illuminate and clarify. Consequently, some trusted men in the church examined the statement against the body of my teaching and determined that the allegation of heresy was unfounded. I continued to serve that church for many years.

The point is, I implied something about the artists’ intent that I could not know. It was unintended, but I did it, nonetheless. Second, my staff member stated something blatantly in error and incredibly serious about me…without ever seeking clarity. GOTCHA! That was the name of the game.

In a world that celebrates the sensational over the actual, we, as believers, can differentiate ourselves tremendously by taking time to understand another person’s position. Seeking to understand and then represent the concern accurately is not a burden, but a privilege and a Christian responsibility (Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor…comes to mind. Exodus 20). Understanding and truthfully representing someone else does not demand agreement or alignment. I want to understand people I disagree with clearly. I want to represent their position in such a way that they would say, “Absolutely, that is precisely what I believe.” I want them to walk away from an interaction with me with a higher and more charitable view of Jesus than ever before. And I want the watching world to see the difference Christ makes in this area of communication.

Perhaps you’ll join me in this resolve. Let’s turn the communication world upside down with good manners, a commitment to truth, and kindness toward others, to the glory of God.

But what about Resolutions in 2025??

As we anticipate the New Year, it is not inappropriate to update our resolutions. I know, I know…resolutions can be a crazy process. I can’t tell you how many times I have sworn them off. Usually it is because of the little voice in the back of my head that reminds me how I did on the last ones.

Funny, I rarely hear the voice remind me of times that my “resolution” yielded incremental progress. I mean, maybe I didn’t lose the whole twenty pounds…but should I discount the five?

The fact is, having a target is helpful. Proverbs 29:18 reminds us that without a vision, we will live without restraint. We cannot really argue with that! That’s how I gained the twenty pounds to begin with!

So, I have adopted a few goals. I will likely keep some of those to myself. Some are motivated by an internal desire. Maybe you have that too. Perhaps you want to go back to school, finish that project, or attempt that 10k race you’ve been side-eyeing for the last few years. Maybe this is the year to make a run at it.

Other goals (and I would argue, more eternally significant ones) may be driven by an impression in your time with the Lord. I have those, too, and will share some of them over the next few days.

Still, others are driven by things that break my heart as I look at the current times. Of course, I mean the culture, but more than that. I am speaking of what I see in the windshield and in the mirror. What if this is the last year someone has to experience the gospel? What if you or I are the last ones who will have an opportunity to gain a hearing for Jesus in the heart of a neighbor? What if this is our last year, or month, or even days before WE meet Jesus? How do we want to live the next few days in light of that possibility?

If you’re still with me…thanks for following along. Here is my first Resolve:

Resolve #1-

I will present a more beautiful picture of Christ and the Gospel.

There are a lot of voices declaring what they are against. They can tell you why something is wrong, why it offends God, or violates His Law (by letter or in principle). They can preach with a strong prophetic voice against any number of legitimate sins. I wonder, though…is it making a difference? After all, the person choosing that particular action is making a choice that they seem to think will work out better for them.

Instead of our (ok…MY) default prophetic warning, let’s choose to explain why trusting God with obedience is better and more beautiful. That’s what I want to do. That’s what I choose (by God’s grace and in His power). I will choose to present the hope of Christ in such lofty and expansive ways that someone would have to be crazy to decide against it!

Let me offer one example in closing:

There is no doubt that abortion is wrong. It is clearly against God’s Word. No genuine objection can be made to that reality. But simply preaching that it is wrong isn’t stemming the tide. In fact, some preliminary findings are indicating that abortions have increased in the US since they became more restricted last year!

I am going to choose to point out that God wants us to choose LIFE because He wants us to experience the joy of holding a child, the peace in knowing that God has got us and our little ones, and the grace of His provision. He doesn’t want us to miss out on Kindergarten plays and Middle School dances, and College graduations. He wants us to experience the pride of knowing that our children change the world…something we would miss out on if we rebelliously short-circuited the process. God has a plan and purpose already laid out for our babies that bear His image. He is entrusting us with world-changing children. He is allowing us the privilege of preparing them for greatness and the joy of knowing His provision in their lives.

Do you see what I mean? Now, insert any issue that tickles your fancy. God’s way is better, more glorious, and yields greater joy than any detour we could come up with.

If this resolution interests you…then you can adopt it, too. And if you check back in tomorrow, I will share the next resolve in a far briefer manner!

Grace and Peace,

Chris

The “In-Betweens” of Life

1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 4So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Genesis 12:1–4 (NASB95)

Have you ever found yourself to be “unsettled?” Maybe it was in a position of indecision. Maybe you were in a move or launching into a new season of marriage. We all find ourselves from time to time in between where we were and where we are going. We struggle to understand the uncertainty and instability of the land between those two points.

One of the questions I seem to answer a lot these days is, “How are you settling in?” I’m kind of a “word nerd,” so against all good “Southern conventions” of just responding, “We are doing great,” I find myself responding that we are blessed and experiencing something new nearly every day. In other words, we are not yet settled. Meditating on this reality recently, I was drawn to Abraham’s experience in Genesis 12. The passage may be familiar to you but consider it once again. God told Abraham to leave his home. Home (particularly in that day) represented security, stability, and power. In Haran, he and his family were known. They had possessions. They had property. They had family. It was outlandish for anyone to leave the security of home.

These promises were not based on a place but on a Person. It was not in the ground but in the God who rules sovereignly. Furthermore, the cost Abraham was to bear would be paid upfront and amounted to a wholesale surrender by faith. Faith to leave. Faith to listen. Faith to follow. We see in just a few pages that Abraham did not do this perfectly. The human side of man struggles to release control to anyone, including God. I, for one, am encouraged that perfect faith is not the price of entry but the byproduct of entering into God’s promise.

By the way, God’s fulfillment of the promise was not fully realized by Abraham. God fulfills promises across the generations, not just in the present moment. One of our shortcomings as people is expecting God to just microwave a fulfilled promise according to our timetable. He does not. And the fact that He doesn’t do so in no way diminishes the validity or reliability of His promise. He is still God, and He is still true to His Word.

So, where are you? Are you in between?  Maybe you have heard from the Lord, but the outcome has not yet come clearly into focus. Perhaps you have shifted in your career, and the new place has not yet felt like you have arrived. Perhaps you have started a journey with Jesus, and you realize that you have a long way to go to look like Him. You are in between. I want you to know that God does some of His best work in between. It is there that you learn about yourself. It is there that you are confronted with your shortcomings and start to get a glimpse of your strengths. It is in the land in between that you learn to lean in and lean on Jesus for things that you thought you could do alone when you were back home. It is in between where you develop the patient longing for the other side.

Remember that the land in between is often the longest part of the journey. It is the most difficult. It can seem insurmountable. It can feel lonely. It can provoke anxiousness. It can wear on your soul. You cannot speed it up. All you can do is continue to move forward as you progressively traverse the land in between on your way to the promise of the other side. You are not alone.

Keep moving. It is worth it.

The Lesson of the Lot

Photo by Lucas Santos on Unsplash

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. 

Proverbs 16:33, NASB95

It’s a coincidence!

What are the chances? 

It just worked out! 

Each of these phrases describe our human response to circumstances. From our perspective, it is like the matters of life will at times randomly just align and everything is better. But is that true?

Solomon, the wisest man to live, had a way of looking at the world. He believed that what appeared as random to us was actually the work of a knowing, loving, and powerful God. The theological term for this view is Providence. It is the belief that God is working in and through every circumstance in a world He sovereignly rules to accomplish a prescribed purpose. From our perspective, things just happen, but from God’s perspective, these same occurrences are shaped and moved into alignment to bring about a result He designed all along. Providence. 

Solomon illustrates his view of Providence in this proverb. An event as seemingly random as the rolling of a dice or the casting of a lot is actually controlled to the minutest of details by a good and reigning God. 

Some view this perspective in a negative light. They think, “If God is controlling everything and it only comes out as He is planning, why should I even bother?” That’s a fatalistic view of the world. It sees us with no control over anything. However, God providentially gave us a manner of control. We call that Free Will. It is our ability to make choices based on our understanding of the matters before us. In other words, we do not simply jump in a car, rev the engine, and tear down the street with our eyes closed and claim, “Whatever happens is God’s providence!” While the outcome is fully known to God, He has providentially given us the ability to process information and given us a compass within (conscience for all…and for believers, the Holy Spirit) that helps us to choose how to act in light of the circumstance. This ability to choose freely, according to our own will, is part of God’s providential design. 

Instead of declaring some fatalistic ramblings as the cause of everything good or bad in the world, we would be better served to ask the questions as we weigh out circumstances before us: “What is God doing or showing me at this moment? What would God desire for me to do in this instance.” When we begin to see ourselves as active agents of the Lord and as stewards of moments He provides, we are able to exercise the freedom of choice He gives us to act in a manner that glorifies Him. Furthermore, we can rest in the confidence, that God is not surprised or limited by our actions. They too are part of His good and providential design. 

Lord, help me today to see every event, every circumstance, every interaction as a moment to act as your agent of reconciliation in a world that you love, while resting in the fact that while I may cast my lot into the lap, the answer comes from you. Amen.