Dealing with the Unpredictability of Life
Dealing with the Unpredictability of Life
Bro Eng Kim Leng | 26 July 2026 | Ecclesiastes 9:11–12
"…time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them." — Ecclesiastes 9:11–12
When Life Falls Apart
This morning we came to worship in peace. God has been kind to us, and for many of us, life is relatively easy — free from trouble. And when life is easy, it is easy to put on our best behaviour. It is easy to look like a Christian when nothing is testing us.
But life is not always this way. Life can present unexpected challenges — twists and turns and unforeseen storms. And when those come, that is when life becomes difficult, when we become weak, when we feel vulnerable, when havoc breaks into our carefully arranged plans. One moment all is going well — and the next, life falls apart. Tragedy strikes.
Solomon captured it exactly in Ecclesiastes 9:12 — men are "snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them."Nasty surprises creep upon us without warning, precisely when we are least prepared. Financial loss. Failure. Illness. Calamity. And it can happen to anyone — to any one of us.
And it is exactly at these moments that we are most challenged to actually exhibit Christianity. Not the Christianity of sunny Sunday mornings, but the Christianity that stands when everything else has crumbled.
Every one of us need to be ready for the day life does not go according to plan.
Unpredictability in the Bible
We are not the first people to face this. God's own servants in the Bible were tested by the sudden turns of life.
Job. In Job chapters 1 and 2, we read of the dialogue between God and Satan concerning this righteous man. And what followed was one of the most devastating cascades of loss in all of Scripture. Job lost his wealth. Job lost his children. Job lost his health. His own wife looked at him in his agony and told him to "curse God and die." And yet — hold onto this line — "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." (Job 1:22). Job stood.
Elijah. In 1 Kings 18, this mighty prophet stood alone against 850 prophets of Baal & Asherah on Mount Carmel and saw God answer with fire from heaven. Total victory. And yet by the very next chapter — 1 Kings 19 — Elijah was running for his life from a single angry woman named Jezebel. He went from spiritual victory to complete discouragement in the space of one chapter. Even the greatest of God's servants can become victims of stress, distress, and pressure.
If it happened to Job. If it happened to Elijah. It can happen to us.
The Best Plans Can Go Awry
Solomon reminds us that even good planning does not guarantee outcomes:
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)
Yes, planning is wise. Diligence is good. And yet Solomon himself gives us this sober word:
"The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11)
The Bible is full of stories that prove this. A young shepherd boy, still a boy, defeated Goliath.Gideon defeated the entire Midianite army with only 300 men.The mighty Egyptian army pursued Moses — and perished in the Red Sea. Life's battles do not necessarily go to the fastest or the strongest or the wisest. In every one of these stories, the difference was who God was with.
We see this even in our own time. In the 2024 Olympics, our own badminton doubles bronze medal match — had lost the first game. Then in the second game, the score was 16–20 against them. Everyone thought it was over. And then they won six straight points — and then the third game. From the brink of defeat to a medal. These moments happen. And they happen because life does not run on human calculations.
Jeremiah put it plainly:
"O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)
Our plans help us. It is good to be healthy, strong, intelligent, and wise. But factors beyond our control can influence any outcome. Time. Chance. External circumstances no one could see coming. And in situations like that, we must believe that God's blessing ranks above every other factor.
Time and Chance — But God Is in Control
The Greek word Solomon points us to is kairos — the moment you experience an event. And "chance" here means the unforeseen. Both are still within God's influence and knowledge. The world calls it randomness. Luck. Coincidence. But there is nothing in this life that escapes God's watch. Whatever happens is permitted by Him.
Listen to how Jesus put it:
"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matthew 10:29–30)
A sparrow is worth almost nothing — and yet not one falls without God knowing. And you? Every hair on your head is counted. Life is not random. God is in control — even of the smallest details.
Solomon returns to the same idea in Ecclesiastes 7:14:
"In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
Both prosperity and adversity are appointed by God. Be joyful in the good days — but do not forget that the difficult days also come with His knowledge. We may not understand — but that does not mean God does not.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
No matter how good our plans, life can take an unanticipated direction. Even the best-laid plans can be derailed. And here is a truth that shakes many Christians:
"…He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)
Good things happen to bad people. And bad things do happen to good people — even to God's own children. Being a Christian does not exempt you from the storm. It never has. What being a Christian gives you is a Father who is with you in the storm.
Prepare for All Eventualities
We do not know when danger comes. We do not know when our time to leave this world will come. And so we must prepare well — especially for eternity.
Consider what happened on September 11, 2001. In New York City, thousands of people started their day like any other — coffee, commute, emails, meetings. They did not know that day was their last. No goodbye. No time to make amends. No time to set their lives right with God. Their plans and their tomorrows ended in a single morning.
James gives us the sober reminder:
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:13–14)
Life is a vapour. Tomorrow is not a certainty. Prepare yourself to meet God. And here is the hope that undergirds every preparation — Jesus overcame death. He resurrected. He is victorious. And He will raise us too:
"…He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you." (2 Corinthians 4:14)
Christianity in Action
Consider four practical anchors — four ways to actually live out our faith when the ground shifts under us.
1. Trust in the Almighty
Trust in the Lord and let Him lead. God knows all things. Put your faith in the One who can see the end.
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3)
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5)
Commit your plans to God, and trust that they are in His good hands. He is faithful. He is sovereign. He is enough.
2. As the Lord Wills
"There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD's counsel—that will stand." (Proverbs 19:21)
"A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
"…you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" (James 4:15)
God has the ultimate say of what happens. This is not fatalism — it is faith. When we include God in our plans, and commit our work to God, He brings victory and success to us in the ways only He can see.
3. Pray for Each Other
James gives us one of the most beautiful passages on prayer in the New Testament:
"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him… Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:13–16)
Paul echoed the same posture: "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer." (Romans 12:12)
Look at how many prayers Scripture records that God answered:
Hezekiah prayed, and his life was extended.
Jesus Himself prayed in the garden — "Not My will, but Yours, be done."
Hannah prayed for a son, and Samuel was given (1 Samuel 1:11–17).
Solomon prayed for wisdom, and it was granted.
Daniel prayed, and lions were shut.
David prayed, and deliverance came.
And Jesus Himself said: "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24)
Life is uncertain. But prayers add to the certainty.
4. Wait Upon the Lord
After we have trusted, submitted, and prayed — then we wait.
"But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
"Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14)
Biblical waiting is not passive — it is active dependence and obedience to God. It is a spiritual discipline we must practice. And in the waiting, the Psalmist teaches us where to place our fear:
"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:3–4)
Life is not always fair. Never mind — count on the justice of God. God is just, and God will deliver justice for us in His time. Do not repay evil. Do not grumble against your brothers. Instead, trust that testing produces patience — and know that even when Paul suffered physically and emotionally, he could still declare:
"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:31–32)
It is a privilege to suffer for Christ. And our present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Some Will Have It Harder — Comfort One Another
Some of us will face heavier trials than others. Tragedies are the hardest to overcome, and no one should have to face them alone. But hear this promise:
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
And in these moments, the church is not optional. We are here to comfort one another. Paul closes his first letter to the Thessalonians with words we should carry with us:
"Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
A day will come for each of us to meet our God. Until that day, we comfort one another. And we hold onto the great Christian hope:
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
We have hope. Not the world's hope — a real hope, purchased at the cross, sealed at the empty tomb, and kept safely for us in heaven.
Face Tomorrow with Confidence
So what do we do with all of this?
Life is unpredictable. The best-laid plans can turn awry. Time and chance can seem to be against us. Evil can fall upon us suddenly. These are simply the facts of life in a fallen world. But we are not left without an answer. Hold on to the four solid anchors :
Trust in God.
Say — and mean — "As the Lord wills."
Pray for one another.
Wait upon the Lord.
And do not forget the one promise that holds it all together:
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
There is no unpredictability in heaven. There is no uncertainty in the presence of God. Heaven is perfect in every way. And so, as those who belong to Him, we can confidently face an uncertain tomorrow — and adopt the attitude Paul himself lived by: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Whatever life brings you — the promotion or the diagnosis, the wedding or the funeral, the peace or the sudden storm — remain faithful to the God who has already made you an eternal home where nothing can be taken from you again.
Trust Him. Submit to Him. Pray to Him. Wait on Him. And live so that when your day comes — no matter how sudden — you are ready to meet Him.
