Is Life a Lottery?
THE state in which I live and which I like very much voted for a state lottery. Within a few months the elaborate mechanism of the lottery was set up and in motion. People lined up to buy tickets. But among those in such a line, few win and most lose, and this raises questions. On a long-term, practical level, how educational can it be for children to watch hard-working parents and other adults either lose or profit from chance-taking? Is provision a matter of chance? Is it necessary for many to lose so that a few may profit? Is life itself a lottery?
The Bible tells us plainly that God is and that He is eternal. He is almighty, unchanging. And He cares for man. In Proverbs we read, ``The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.''1 And in Psalms, ``The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.''2 Don't these verses show clearly that God provides all good for His children and that there is no chanciness about His provision?
Yes, it is easier to say this than to prove it, especially when circumstances are severe for many people and there's apparently little reason for hope. Yet there's a law of God that supersedes the supposed force of circumstances. There's the spiritual reality of God's absolute supremacy and of man's inseparability from His care.
The Bible points to this reality, to the truth that man, made in God's image, is perfect, always cared for and loved by his creator. And the works of Bible luminaries, particularly Christ Jesus, show us that this truth can be made practical in human experience.
In fact, I was compelled to come to terms with this Bible message when I faced a challenging time in my life and came across this statement in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science: ``Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.''3
After my husband's death I realized that I must sell our home. It was an old wooden house located near a busy airport. I was told by friends and associates that such a house would not sell. But when I talked to a Christian Scientist about the possibility of a sale, she held a different view of the situation. She realized that there was a divine law that could be depended on to care for the situation from every standpoint.
I listed the house with a realtor for a fair price, and the very next day the real-estate agent called me. Needless to say, the house had been sold. ``We can scarcely believe it,'' the firm's manager said. ``Less than an hour after we put up a sign, a man came in and said he wanted to buy it.''
Before closing the deal, I insisted on talking to the buyer. I wanted to be sure he understood that living near an airport had its disadvantages. But he only smiled. ``I'm a drummer in a band,'' he explained. ``And I have friends who like to get together with me and bang the drums. Some of them like to fly into town, and this place, being near the airport, is ideal. The minute I saw the house, I knew it was what I wanted.''
We can't prescribe how God will bring harmony into our lives. But when we turn to Him with complete trust and steadfast allegiance, regardless of circumstances, we can rest in the assurance that all will be cared for. It is not chance but divine Truth -- God Himself -- that governs man's life.
1Proverbs 10:22. 2Psalms 23:1. 3Science and Health, p. 494.
