I Don't Believe ... By Cortney Donelson

Job 10:12

“You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.”

I don’t believe in coincidences.

According to Google, a coincidence is “a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.” Did you know that the word coincidence is not found anywhere in the Bible? I know. I looked in five different translations. It seems to me God doesn’t believe in coincidences either. I can’t think of any other reason there’s absolutely no mention of it in the Bible – the God-inspired book where Scripture “is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Do we tend to exchange miracles for coincidences and miss out on God’s amazing grace in our lives? Have we called answered prayers simply “luck” and dismissed our Creator’s loving gifts? Have we ever averted our eyes and missed God’s providence, choosing to believe in pure happenstance? In the past, I know I have mistaken His provision for mere fate. When we make these perspective choices, I think we ignore a huge part of the amazing relationship God seeks to have with us.

I would like to share with you two recent “coincidences” to one very specific prayer.

I heard the taunting. It was that voice in my head – the one that is not very complimentary. It’s the voice that tears me down, rekindles my fears, and speaks anything but words of encouragement. Do you hear that voice too? His name is Satan.

I knew it was him the moment it started. I began to feel “not good enough.” I started to question why I was writing talks for church ministries and wondering who was I to be posting devotional blogs. I started to ask myself questions like, “Why do I believe I am making any difference at all?” Thankfully, I recognized the enemy’s voice and started to pray against it.

“God, I know you have a plan for me. I know these feelings of “not good enough” are just attacks – ones meant to strip me of my confidence. I will not bow down to the lies. But, God, I need some confirmation from You. I need You to show me that I am writing messages that are good enough for Your will to be done. I need to know You are here as I pen out these devotionals and these talks. If You could just show me that I have impacted one person for You – just one – then I will know I am supposed to continue on this path,” I prayed.

I told my husband about the enemy’s taunts and how they were getting worse. I confided in him that I was nervous that one of my upcoming talks wasn’t going to be good enough – wasn’t going to impact anyone in the way I hoped. I shared with him that I wanted it to be perfect so that God could use me to make a difference. His reply was, “Of course the taunts are worse – you are getting dangerously close to not only living your life completely for God, but helping others do the same.” He was right.

The next day, I was in the middle of the Esther Bible Study by Beth Moore. I read these words and fell flat on my face and cried: “Beloved, do we believe that the only way to do something acceptable is to do it perfectly? Sometimes God is more aware than we of just how much He requires of us. He knows how hard it’s going to be for us … He’s proud of us for fighting overwhelming human emotions to do His will.” Praise You, God! The exact thing I had asked God for as confirmation was just handed to me by Him the very next day!

But God wasn’t finished yet. The second day, several individuals – people whom I was not even aware were reading my blog – thanked me for one of my recent posts. These friends’ encouragements were more answered prayer! Not only had God told me that I was good enough and reminded me that I didn’t have to be perfect, He gave me the confirmation I needed that others were being touched by my blog. Just as with Job, God was watching over me. “You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.” My spirit was being tested, but God showed me He was there and reminded me of His kindness.

Was it coincidence that “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” (Genesis 25:21)

Was it coincidence that “David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.” (2 Samuel 24:25)

Was it also coincidence that I asked God for confirmation, and within 48 hours, the Lord answered my prayer – twice over?

I refuse to live in a way that would shun God’s grace. I refuse to reject God’s little gifts. Some people may call these events “coincidences.” I believe those who do are missing out on one of the most beautiful aspects of connecting with a Heavenly Father who loves us beyond imagination.

So, here is my new definition of a coincidence: “A coincidence is a set of events (aka blessings) orchestrated by God for His divine purpose but whose recipient refuses to accept as gifts from God, thereby (sadly) choosing to believe fate, rather than providence, is a more powerful force in his or her life.”

Do you still believe in coincidences?

Prayer – Lord, Your gifts and blessings show us Your infinite kindness. I thank You for watching over us. Thank You for every answered prayer and every act of love You provide. I pray that those who don’t see Your hand in their lives come to discover how powerful it truly is. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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