Serendipity or Divine Intervention?

People have a lot of terms for why things happen the way they do. Luck, fate, destiny, coincidence, serendipity. And many of us recognize it as divine intervention.

Webster’s dictionary defines luck as “the seemingly chance happening of events which affect one.” Note the word “seemingly.”

A coincidence is defined as “an accidental and remarkable occurrence of events, ideas, etc. at the same time, suggesting but lacking a causal relationship.”

18th century writer Horace Walpole capitalized on the phenomenon in his tale “The Three Princes of Serendip.” These princes had an apparent aptitude for making fortunate discoveries accidentally. The word “serendipity” that Walpole coined is still in popular usage and was even the title of a movie a few years ago.

For those with spiritual eyes, all of these terms can be melded together as “divine intervention.” To Christian believers you can remove the word “seemingly.” Likewise, drop the phrase “lacking a causal relationship.” As well as “apparent aptitude.” God’s timing is always perfect. No accidents. The “coincidences” are intentional and generally for our benefit.

This isn’t just wishful thinking; it’s supported by scripture. In Romans 8:28 Paul reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

It was the story of a woman of Shunem in II Kings 5 in the Bible that got me thinking in this direction. This Shunammite showed hospitality to Elisha, thus honoring God. The prophet had his servant Gehazi inquire as to what could be done for her in return. She was not lacking materially, but she had no son and her husband was old. Elisha told her she would hold a son in her arms the next year, and it came to pass. When the child was older he died suddenly, but the woman, in her faith, sought out Elisha. The man of God miraculously restored the boy to life.

In Chapter 8 we learn that Elisha had told the woman to go away with her family because of a seven year famine the Lord had decreed. Here’s what happened from the NIV:

“At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. The king was talking to Gehazi the servant of the man of God, and had said, ‘Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.’ Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land.

Gehazi said, ‘This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.’ The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.

Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, ‘Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.’”

The world would have called it luck or coincidence, but the Shunammite woman knew better. And so do I. I’ve had so many experiences like that in my own life. And I have a ready explanation for the “remarkable occurrence of events that seemingly lack a causal relationship.” In the Old Testament, Job was able to say in the midst of his despair, “Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.”

Similarly, in Romans 8: 27 Paul states “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

So why were the anecdotes of the Shunammite woman even included in the book of Kings? She was a mere footnote among the tales of the rulers of Judah and Israel, of whom scripture says few were good, many were bad, and some were worse. But I believe God placed that simple woman with her simple faith as an example to us across time. A reminder that we are not too small to catch God’s eye. Far from it. In all our unworthiness, we are still His most beloved creation. Every last one of us.   At all times He is intimately involved in our lives, whether we realize it or not, both in the small ways and the momentous, eternal ones.

The proof of that is even more obvious. In the supreme act of divine intervention, God sent His only Son to die a cruel death as a ransom for sinful man. Every last one of us. A popular Christian song says “When He was on the Cross, I was on His Mind.” Believe it or not. I choose to believe.