What thought have you given to luck? “I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NKJV). King Solomon does not teach us that we have an existence of luck here. Instead, that part of the reality of life is that things can be unpredictable in this world. Just because one is a fast runner doesn’t mean they will win the race. The turtle really can beat the rabbit. Just because one is strong doesn’t mean they will not be struck down in battle by someone weaker. It was little David who killed the big Goliath. Was that luck? Just because one is intelligent, that doesn’t always mean he will have plenty. Just because you train and work hard at something does not guarantee success, but it certainly helps. If you do not study for a test, do not be surprised when you fail it.
What Does the Bible Teach about Luck?
Now, if the world were controlled by chaos and chance, as some wish this Scripture to teach, there would be no point in trying for anything. Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t teach that. It teaches us to work hard and take advantage of good opportunities, which can pay off for the good, Lord willing, of course. “In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). We know that if we do not try for good, then you are mostly guaranteed not to receive good. Even in this world, hard work will pay off, generally speaking. When hard work pays off, or something good falls into your lap, do not give the credit to luck but to God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Does the Bible tell us that we receive good things from luck? No! Who is luck? Is luck in control? No, God is in control. We receive EVERY good gift from God, not from luck. Now, some things we think are good are not that good. “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). God knows what is best and will sometimes shut us down in an action we are trying to accomplish. Often, we also relate this to luck. “You got the job! You’re so lucky!” “You found gold! You’re so lucky!” The “Luck of the Irish” may have just been because of hard work, digging in the right place, and a blessing from God. There is no other in which to place our faith but the will of God, not luck. “The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). The rolling of the dice just falls into the lap. God is the one with the power of decision, not the lot or dice.
Are You Feeling Lucky about Your Salvation?
If you’re lucky, will you be in Heaven one day? Is luck involved with your salvation? No! It was God, not luck, who sent His Son to die on the cross (John 3:16). God’s love, not luck, is responsible for the sacrifice for our sins (Romans 5:8). God does not reward us blindly in a way that we might relate to as being luck but deliberately to those who seek and obey Him. “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). We are not lucky to have Jesus, but we are blessed to have Him.
