Random events

“But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armour. The king told the chariot driver, ‘Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.’” 2 Chronicles 18:33
There are many things that happen to us that seem like they have happened at random. In today’s verse we see what happened when Ahab, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went into battle together against the king of Aram. Ahab convinced Jehoshaphat to wear his royal robes, while he disguised himself as an ordinary soldier. However, even though he was in disguise and even though the king of Aram had instructed his men not to fight with anyone except the king, Ahab was struck in the battle and died from his wounds. Why? Because God had decreed for Ahab to die in battle. What might seem to us to be random events, or coincidence, is actually God pulling the strings behind the scenes.
It’s hard to comfort someone who has been injured in a freak accident, or lost a loved one through no fault of their own. But in these times we can remember that God is still in control, and that He has promised to somehow work all things together for good ultimately (Rom. 8:28). He has a purpose in these things. Nothing happens ‘by chance’ with God. He is not surprised, like we are. So we can rest assured knowing that whatever happens to us, God knew all along, and He allowed it so that we might come to know Him better through it.