July 13: Coincidence? Or God-incidence? Choose Wisely, Grasshopper.

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36

Romans 1:18-32

Psalm 10:1-15

Proverbs 19:6-7

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be know about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them."

There are many things plain to me.  Among them: the distance from the sun.  The distance and placement of other heavenly bodies.  The range of temperatures.  The water cycle.  The air cycle.  Photosynthesis.  Gravity.  The ozone layer.  The Bernoulli effect.  Even tides.   These are but a few things that are plain to me, and that have to be "just right" in order for man to survive.  

When I contemplate the cause, the origin of these things, I find I have a choice: to believe they are the product of chance, or of creation; they are the result of "coincidence" or "God-incidence".   

When I choose to think the latter, I find myself surprisingly at peace, whatever my circumstances.  The things I contemplate become confirmation of a loving God, in control, so that whatever I might be going through, I go through with Him and because of Him, under His protection and care, so I can be at peace even thought I might neither like nor understand what He has chosen for me.  

When I choose to think the former, I find myself worried about things I cannot control, frustrated with situations I cannot change.  I am angry, hopeless and miserable.  I pursue relief in things that exacerbate my misery. I find myself moving in the direction of being "filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity…envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice…"

Father, when confronted with Your creation,  You know I am tempted to choose to see things from a perspective that allows me to deny Your existence, so I can gratify myself.   When I start going down that path, please yank me back.  Hard.  And make what I may know about You plain to me once more.