It is a common notion that life is unpredictable. Sometimes, you can explain why things happen the way they do, but at other times, they defy all forms of human reasoning and explanation, and we are left to wonder if we ever can fully understand the processes of life. However, for us as children of God, we may not be able to predict what life will throw at us, but we can always predict what our outcomes will be. (Isaiah 43: 2, 2Cor. 2: 14) I have found out from the Bible that there are three factors that induce the different experiences people have in life; these I call "THE TRIGGERS OF LIFE". The events of life for each individual will be predominated by one of these 'triggers'... TIME, CHANCE or HAND. 1. TIME: This is perhaps the strongest natural process set forth by God- The cycle of the rising and setting of the sun... Human beings are creatures of time, and we are preoccupied with that theme; we wear watches so that we can keep account of time, and we 'divide' our lives into fragments of time... Years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds and so on. Ecclesiastes 3: 1 makes us understand that there is a time to every purpose under heaven. Time triggers such things as birth (9 months after conception), sowing and harvesting of different crops at different seasons of the year e.t.c. Basically, the process of time keeps life running the way it should and makes it interesting and predictable, but at times, it breaks our patience (that's another big word)- i.e our ability to handle the pressure of time. James 4: 13-14 "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring..."... "for man knoweth not his time" (Eccl. 9: 12a) The above scriptures reiterate that the process of time is not fully predictable; things sometimes refuse to happen at their auspicious time. David understood this so well, and said in Psalm 31: 14-15a- "But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand". Here is my little advice dearly beloved, never put your trust in the process of time- it sometimes disappoint... Let your trust be in God. 2. CHANCE "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all"- Eccl. 9: 11 There are happenstances in life; certain things just happen by chance... Unexpected, but usually explainable; sometimes they are pleasant, but at other times, they aren't. God sometimes does some 'random' acts of mercy (Rom. 9: 15), but the devil is a chronic opportunist (1Pet. 5: 8), and this makes it extremely dangerous to live a life of chances, or 'luck' as some prefer to call it. The bad thing is that while the devil masterminded the turnout of events, you can always explain it away! Though God, by special acts of mercy, occasionally shows up there, the realm of chances is basically devil's domain of operation. Wishing people the best of luck (luck, as in lucifer) sounds like a wicked statement to me! Why not wish them the best of God instead? 3. HAND "And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his HAND that smote us: it was a CHANCE that happened to us"- 1st Samuel 6:9 Certain 'happenstances' in life defy all possible explanation; at such times, a HAND is involved- there is a direct supervision of an invisible hand. It could be an operation of the enemy or a Sovereign act of God. I will however focus on the Sovereign acts of God in this section, because my aim is to get you to understand the Hand of God, and take full advantage of it. One day, as I sat down meditating, some names began to run across my mind- Jehovah- The Name of God Jesus- The Son of God Jerusalem- The City of God Jews- God's chosen race Jacob- Who was named Israel Joshua- Led God's people into the promised land Judah- Jesus; Lion of the tribe of Judah Jesse- Jesus; The root of Jesse Judea- Jesus, born in Judea Joseph- Jesus' earthly father John- Jesus' most beloved disciple John- The Baptist, Jesus' Forerunner Jordan- Jesus was baptized in Jordan Judas- The disciple that betrayed Jesus AND SO ON... Guess you must have noticed the correlation... The letter translated 'J' in English is the 10th letter in the Hebrew alphabet, "YOD' which means THE HAND! The lamb of God having been slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13: 8), God began to orchestrate the physical manifestation by His Strong Hand, against all known and unknown opposition. Beloved, just as the process of redemption cannot be naturally fathomed, your life, if brought under the influences of the hand of God will be a puzzle to men. Your outcomes in life will 'violate' all limitations and bring Glory to the name of the Lord. You see, God had a game-plan from the foundations of the world, and by His Valiant Hand, saw to its step-by-step execution... "The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly" (Psalm 118: 16). Let me share this good news with you beloved, God has a plan for you- Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)- "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end". Life might have dealt you some really bad cards; but God still has a purpose for your life. If only you'll embrace that purpose, and give yourself to it, He will by His Valiant Hand make it happen for you, he will grant you Grace and Glory and no good thing will be withheld from you. Shalom!