Ecclesiastes 9:11 English Standard Version (ESV) Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

Time and chance happens to us all.

That chance to place our faith in Christ happens to us all.

The fact that we can believe does not explain just how that works for everyone. Belief is not dependent on perfect understanding.

What we can believe is dependent on what Christ has done in us, not what He has done for us.

John 5:24 English Standard Version (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

We must not separate the Word from the mission that God the Father set in motion from the beginning.

 John 1:1-5 English Standard Version

The Word Became Flesh

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Factum Peractum

Only the Word of God can accomplish what He sets out to do before He uttered a single Word.

That is a difficult concept for mankind who only believes what they see.

It becomes easier to see the hand of God working in our lives if we have heard the gospel first.

Time and chance happens for all of us.

John 5:12-14 English Standard Version

¹² They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” ¹³ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. ¹⁴ Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Now the man meets Jesus and perhaps he understands it is God who has healed him.

What does he believe?

Perhaps he believes the words that Jesus now speaks to him. Perhaps he believes that because he is healed and sin is now mentioned in connection with his sickness, that sin is responsible for all his ills. Jesus even says not to sin again. That only says that he still has the sin nature he was born with and if he continues in sin worse things can happened.

Is the man’s motivation to refrain from sin the consequences of sin or the words of God to go and sin no more?

Did this man hear the gospel for forgiveness of sins? Did he hear that he must place his faith in Christ who has not even died for his sins yet?

Perhaps this conversation with Jesus is an invitation to continue listening to Jesus until the time comes when he hears the message of salvation by faith. Perhaps. We cannot say for sure what was in the man’s heart. Christ had not died, faith was not an issue, and the Spirit had not been given to share the truth.

So what do we believe when we see God do a miracle in our lives?

Do we have anyone there to explain what is happening or do we wonder with less than perfect understanding?

Someone has to share the gospel with us to stand a chance of getting it right, it is only a chance.