TIME AND CHANCESpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: The Bible says that knowledge and wisdom alone are insufficient for doing any business or work and thereby prosper out of it. The favour of God, time and chance are also essential for the success of any man. 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)
The Bible says that knowledge and wisdom alone are insufficient for doing any business or work and thereby prosper out of it. The favour of God, time and chance are also essential for the success of any man.
When should one start a business or any work for that matter? "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) "Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, Why do those who know Him see not His days?" (Job 24:1)
To those who trust in the Lord, He makes known when they should start a particular business or work for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
A couple of years ago, I saw a television clipping about what happened in the city of Paris. The people of that city brought innumerable baskets of tomatoes and threw them on the street. What was the reason for this strange act? A bumper harvest of tomatoes that year had caused a very steep fall in the price of tomatoes and none came forward to buy this perishable commodity. Therefore, they threw the tomatoes on the streets and crushed it.
It so happened that the previous year harvest of tomatoes did not met the demand and hence the price of tomatoes was unusually very high that year. Hoping the same condition would prevail the following year, most of the people planted tomatoes and this led to the drop in price, which resulted in such a strange scene. None of them realized that that particular year was not suitable for the cultivation of tomatoes. As a consequence of this, the people were faced with a great loss.
In a certain town there lived a drunkard who always used to return from office in a drunken stupor. His wife, on the other hand was a woman who had firm faith in God and often made her supplications known to Him through praise and prayer. One afternoon, she knelt down and prayed saying, "Lord! How long should I suffer like this? We are in dire poverty together with payments of loan to be made which are choking our throat" with much tears thinking of her husband.
Her husband who normally turns up at 6 p.m. everyday came home staggering, as was his usual practice on that particular day but at about 3 p.m. and fell flat at the feet of his wife who had been kneeling and praying. Unaware of her husband's presence she kept conversing with God. At that time, her husband began to understand whatever she uttered in prayer.
The Lord used this moment and moved his hard heart, which slowly began to melt. Looking at his wife, he wept bitterly saying, "Honey, I am unable to leave this evil drinking habit. Even now I feel the urge to drink something. Please give me something to drink," he pleaded. She did not know what to do. On opening the refrigerator, she happened to see a few bottles with little soft drink in each of them. She mixed all of them and poured it into a glass and handed it over to her husband. He drank that and said, "Wow! It really tastes delicious. Please get me another glass of this drink." After gulping the soft drink mix offered, he told his wife, "Whenever I am urged to consume alcohol, you please give this soft drink mix." His wife did as she was told.
Days passed by. One day, he opined to his wife stating thus: "We are still not financially well-off. How about mixing all these soft drinks and supplying it in the market?" As it is written in the Scriptures, "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" the Lord Himself placed this thought and desire in his mind. They started preparing that soft drink and supplying the same. Many people eagerly came forward and purchased it. Gradually their debts disappeared and prosperity entered their home and they became rich.
The times are in the hands of the Almighty. God will put the desire and thought about a particular work or business in you. Never be carried away to start any business just because you happen to see someone doing a particular business and are thereby enjoying a fairly high level of financial freedom and economic liberty. Cling firmly to the feet of our loving Lord Jesus Christ. At the apt time, He will put the desire and thought about the business which you should start and will also help you work at it.
Prayer:
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father,
I praise and thank you because I know that my times are in Your hands. I confess that it is You who works in me, both to will and to do for Your good pleasure. I seek Your grace to wait patiently for Your time and chance to operate in my life. Bless this day for me and make me glad.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. |