February 28th, 2026
by Ivey Rhodes
by Ivey Rhodes
As I often do, I was reading an old sermon by the Victorian preacher Charles Spurgeon, and it made me laugh. He went on for several paragraphs about coincidence versus God’s providence. It was so good that I paraphrased it into modern English for you to enjoy.
Spurgeon’s point was simple: There are no coincidences. God is at work in every part of our lives. He is not distant or uninterested in our day to day lives. He is actively involved and deeply cares about us.
This week we’re addressing the misconception that Jesus is distant. In Acts 17, Paul tells a gathering of intellectuals that God “is not far from each one of us.” If you’ve ever felt like God is distant, join us as we discover just how close He truly is.
“But that’s just coincidence,” people say.
Coincidence is a cute word for boys to play with.
Let me tell you a story.
Recently I traveled by train to another town. At a junction I had to switch trains. By coincidence another train had just pulled in, heading exactly where I needed to go. I barely had time to cross the platform and get on before it departed.
A few miles later I was told to change again. And by another coincidence, a train was just about to leave for my final destination.
When I arrived, yet another coincidence was waiting, a friend was there with his carriage to pick me up. He took me to his house, where there was another coincidence, dinner was ready.
And at dinner there happened to be a special dish prepared for someone like me who didn’t eat meat. Just another coincidence, I suppose.
Then I went to preach, and there was another coincidence. The chapel was full of eager listeners!
Someone might say, “You’re talking nonsense. That was all arranged.”
Exactly. That’s my point. You call it coincidence. I see the active hand of God, and I am never without a providence to observe.
Coincidence is a cute word for boys to play with.
Let me tell you a story.
Recently I traveled by train to another town. At a junction I had to switch trains. By coincidence another train had just pulled in, heading exactly where I needed to go. I barely had time to cross the platform and get on before it departed.
A few miles later I was told to change again. And by another coincidence, a train was just about to leave for my final destination.
When I arrived, yet another coincidence was waiting, a friend was there with his carriage to pick me up. He took me to his house, where there was another coincidence, dinner was ready.
And at dinner there happened to be a special dish prepared for someone like me who didn’t eat meat. Just another coincidence, I suppose.
Then I went to preach, and there was another coincidence. The chapel was full of eager listeners!
Someone might say, “You’re talking nonsense. That was all arranged.”
Exactly. That’s my point. You call it coincidence. I see the active hand of God, and I am never without a providence to observe.
Spurgeon’s point was simple: There are no coincidences. God is at work in every part of our lives. He is not distant or uninterested in our day to day lives. He is actively involved and deeply cares about us.
This week we’re addressing the misconception that Jesus is distant. In Acts 17, Paul tells a gathering of intellectuals that God “is not far from each one of us.” If you’ve ever felt like God is distant, join us as we discover just how close He truly is.
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