God wants us to take on His character. He wants us to be like Him.
God doesn’t care about odds so He wants us to not care about them as well. He just wants to teach us that He can always be trusted, that we can always rest in Him.
I’m reading through the Bible with a one year Bible. Time and time again, I read in the old testament where kings of Israel and Judah were about to be attacked by kings with armies much larger than the armies of Israel and Judah. The overwhelming odds brought great fear on God’s people – we’re no different. When the people of Israel, out of intimidation and fear, sought God and asked for His help, God would help them by destroying the advancing enemy army, one way or another. In the end, God delivered His people when they sought Him and promised to turn from their wickedness to serve only Him.
One old testament example of odds and ends is found in the story of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37.
What God is trying to tell us is that, with Him, odds don’t matter and we don’t ever need to fear any odds that cause us fear, intimidation, insecurity, or inferiority. We don’t ever need to despair, be discouraged, or in dismay. Why not? In the end, God will always work things out for us. He’s always at work in our lives showing us that He’s working all things (odds as well) together for our good, showing us that we can trust His Word, showing us that we can always rely on Him and His faithfulness to us.
Sooner or later, we begin to understand what He wants us to know. Odds need never scare us. Regardless of odds, He will always lead us where He wants us to be, where He wants us to go, and show us what He wants us to do.
Feeling competition at school or on the job? Feel like you don’t have enough money? Is your health an issue?
Whatever odds you feel are pressuring you to give into fear are only there to show you that, in the end, God is always faithful. When you learn and remember that you can rely on this truth, you can live free from whatever used to be overwhelming odds in your life. The odds will then be in your favor all the time because God will have done this wonderful work in your life of being able to trust Him at all times.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (odds), to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
Fear not. With Jesus, the odds are always in our favor because they’re no longer an issue. Rest in that truth.
God bless,
Mark