If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…

Deuteronomy 28:1-2

Though my favorite color is green, I’ve never been much of one for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. I suppose it’s because I’ve never considered myself very lucky. I’ve sat through countless Bingo games with nothing marked but the FREE space when some lucky winner yells, “Bingo!”. I’ve been part of several workplace lottery pools and eventually stopped buying in figuring I was why we weren’t winning. If I’m running late, I’ll hit every red light between my house and where I’m going.

Just not lucky.

But then again, what is luck anyway? If something good happens, am I lucky? If something bad happens, am I unlucky?

According to God, luck has nothing to do with the events of our lives.

In Isaiah 46:9-10, God makes it clear that He is in control of all things from the beginning of time to the end of time; that what He wants to happen, happens and what He doesn’t want to happen, doesn’t happen; that His divine purpose will be accomplished.

Sweet friends, the concept of “luck” – that good or bad things happen by chance – simply isn’t a concept that God’s Word supports. Our God doesn’t operate on luck; He operates in blessings and curses, in grace and mercy.

As we look into Deuteronomy 26, we see that God outlines a long list of blessings that spring from obeying His Word and a weighty list of curses that come from disobeying His Word.

If we’re really honest with ourselves, the negative events in our lives have nothing to do with being unlucky. Negative events are the result of disobedience to God’s Word – either our disobedience or someone else’s. Even when we ourselves are obedient, the consequences of Adam and Eve’s original sin the Garden puts negative events into our lives. Not to mention the meddling of the enemy, whose every work is a sin because he openly opposes God.

The positive events in our lives are a result of God’s good favor, rewards for our obedience to His Word, but also the unmerited favor we receive from God’s grace and mercy. It is through His grace that we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is from His mercy that we continue to receive blessings even when we are rebellious or disobedient (Ephesians 2:4-5; 1 Peter 1:3).

Dear heart, the enemy would have us believe in luck – that everything good or bad that happens is simply chance.

BUT God – how I love those two words! – God is in control. Nothing happens that is not known to Him and used by Him. God is working all things for our good, even the things the enemy meant to use for evil (Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20).

Those things you think of as good luck?

Those are the times that God gave you blessings from His boundless grace and mercy.

Those things you think of as bad luck?

Those are times to check with God and make sure you are being obedient to His Word.

• If He calls you out on something, repent, agree with Him and turn yourself around. Blessings will follow.
• If He assures you that you are obedient, then it’s still not bad luck – it’s a consequence of living in a world that has sin it, or it’s a test to make you stronger, or it’s the enemy trying to knock you down. Whatever the source, keep trusting God; blessings are coming.

In all things, remember that God is good and He is in control.