Friday the 13th

Yesterday I wrote a post centered on healing. Like all human beings, I am in desperate need of it. My nature is sick and twisted, and I have no power within myself to do anything about it. Christ is my only hope and means of healing. Unfortunately, the blogger crashed (or something similar) taking my post with it. I may rehash it at some point, but not today.

People like to make a big deal about Friday and the 13th day of the month meeting together. The sixth graders I have been subbing for over the past few weeks were no exception. They came in making all the jokes about what might possibly happen given the nature of the day. I found it a good time to remind them, and myself, what God says about how luck holds up against Him.

So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:8

"Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Genesis 50:19-20

There is no such thing as bad luck. If anyone could have declared it to exist, Joseph would the man. He was beat up by his brothers, sold into slavery, seduced and then accused of adultery by his master's wife, falsely imprisoned, and forgotten about for two years. Our culture would say he was "unlucky." Instead, Joseph understood his seeming misfortune as God's means of bringing about blessing. God was allowing all these things to happen for His will to be done. And Joseph knew God's will desired the glory of His name and the good of His people.

God has not changed from then to now. He still allows things such as calamity and chaos to affect our lives. He designs these to bring about His purposes. We don't have to play around with silly myths and practices to keep off the "bad luck." For whatever God has planned with come to fruition. But we can rest assured, His glory will come about as a result, and we will be blessed.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:16-17

Likewise, there is no such things as good luck. All the good we experience in our lives is a gift from God, whether we realize it or not. Both believers and unbelievers experience the goodness of God every day of their lives. It doesn't come down to karma, luck, or whatever else we may try to give the credit to. It's all because the God of the universe is a gracious God who pours out blessings on all His creation regardless of whether or not they deserve it.

Therefore we can rejoice in this day. It is just like every other day: created by God for His glory. Everything will happen according to His will, which His Word tells us is good, perfect, and pleasing.