Proverbs 16:33:

The lot is cast into the lap,
   but its every decision is from the LORD.

Back in the day, people would cast lots to determine what the Lord’s will is. For example, the Apostles cast lots when they needed to replace Judas. You could say it’s something like rolling dice, or flipping a coin by today’s standards. The Bible has quite a bit to say about casting lots, but I’m not too concerned with it now.

What’s more interesting to me is the tension of control in this verse. Both God and man have an element of control here, but with the concepts of man’s responsibility and God’s decision in such close proximity and such sharp contrast, it’s hard not to reflect.

There seems to be a relentless debate over who really exercises control in this life: God, or man? Who has the final say? For me, I’ve settled confidently into the belief that it is God with the last word. But it’s not hard to see why the conflict among Christians prevails. It’s one of the few topics that truly have such far reaching ramifications on our faith.

I think this little verse in Proverbs is an excellent descriptor (at least in this translation) of the way I see this tension between God’s sovereignty and man’s control worked out.

Man will cast the lot. He will make the motion. He will flip the coin. But God has made the decisions. Or to extend it to more realms of greater relevance: I will believe in Jesus with my faith, and I will try to live my life in a way that honors him. But the ability, the drive and the desire to do those things has come from God alone.