Time And Chance Happen To Them All
By Pastor Mitch
May 28, 2021
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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” Ecc. 9:11
Pastor wrote recently in his devotions concerning the truth of “time and chance” in life. There is a common understanding and expectation to the things of life; the swift runner will inevitably win the race, the strong warrior will certainly lead and win the battle. The “wise” is a reference to those who make a living by teaching. They work hard to become well-known as wise men in the hope that they would then attract prospective students. Parents were willing to pay high fees for famous wise teachers. It is the assumption of “wise men” that once they have attained wisdom, they would be able to secure their future. The “men of understanding” who have obtained much discernment on how to do business well will become rich. They will gain much profits and wealth in life. The men of skill are a reference to well-skilled individuals who are admired for their abilities. It is assumed that in the normal circumstances in life they will gain favour and honour from men.
And yet there is another level of understanding of life called “astute understanding.” This is where we see things differently from the normal things of life. Life can turn unexpectedly for the worse in a moment. The swift will not win the race. The strong will not win the battle and the list goes on. Pandemics, disasters and adverse circumstances can come about out of the blue. All of sudden, the tables are turned in life. This is how we see time and chance happening to us all. And we must learn to be strong and ready when these unpredictable things happen.
NOT LOSING HEART IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES
I was just reflecting on how things were going well for Singapore for some time during this pandemic and all of a sudden, this new variant appeared. And there is a turnaround of everything. Indeed, it is true to see how time and chance happen to us all. And yet in the midst of this, we can still have faith and hope in the Lord.
Some two weeks ago, my mum was admitted to the Singapore General Hospital for high fever. Because of her fever, she had to be tested for the Covid 19 variant and she was placed in an isolation ward (no visitors) for 5 days. It was a bit trying because one of the days was Mother’s Day and she had to spend it in isolation. Furthermore, the nurse called me that evening to tell me that my mother had fallen hard while attempting to go to the toilet on her own. It was challenging that I could not be with my mum at that time.
And yet, during such sudden turn of events, we must not lose heart. The challenge in times like this is to seek the Lord for His help. I exercised faith and hoped in the Lord and His promises that He would take care of her. Thank God for His great mercies that she did not have any fracture after that hard fall; just some bruises. It was amazing! Her fever came down after a few days of antibiotics and she has since been discharged. I thank God that even though that there are moments like these in life, I do not need to lose heart. We can continue to have faith and hope in the Lord. May we not lose heart in life’s unexpected turn of events. Let’s battle these challenges with faith and hope in the Lord God. He will be there for us.
