Lucky? Or Blessed?

According to Australian authorities, Andrew Wilson, 25, is a "lucky" man. Wilson was cruising off the coast of Australia in his small fishing boat when a rogue wave rose up and knocked him off the deck of his boat and into the sea. His boat, engine running, continue on its way. Wilson found himself all alone, wearing no life vest, doing his best to stay above water. Being determined that he was not going to allow the sea to take his life, he struck out to swim the five miles to shore. Approximately six hours later, exhausted and bloodied by the coastal rocks he had to cross in order to get to land, he crawled on to shore. Remarkably he was seen and rushed to a hospital, where he was treated and released. Considering the distance he had to swim ... and the fact that those waters were infested with sharks . it is truly amazing that Wilson survived!  But was it due to "luck?"

Given my worldview, I would prefer to say that Wilson was "blessed." I  happen to believe that our God is at work behind the scenes of world events - both on the macro and the micro level (see Isaiah 14:24, Ephesians 1:11 and Romans 8:28 for example). He is sovereign ... in control. He is a God of providence (meaning He has a plan ... and He is working that plan). It was God's providential hand that ultimately was at work to bring Wilson to safety.

R.C. Sproul, in his book, The Invisible Hand: Do All Things Really Work for Good? writes the following about the providence of God:

"It is the concept of watching over us that goes to the heart of divine providence. It is God's fatherly care of his creatures that the word encompasses. This means God is involved in human affairs. He is not like Aristotle's god, the Unmoved Mover, who remains aloof and totally uninvolved with human history. Will Durant once compared Aristotle's god with the monarch of England, whom he described as a 'do-nothing king who reigns but doesn't rule.' The biblical God is not unmoved. He is a moved and moving Mover who rules as well as reigns"  

Take heart today in knowing that God's invisible hand is upon you and your life, working out HIS plan for YOU!  

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj