Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart. -- Proverbs
18:18
We prayed about it. We discussed it. My friend had one desire; I had a different
one. "Okay, let's settle the issue the way the early Church settled matters when
an agreement could not be achieved. Let's flip a coin."
"You must be joking!" My friend lamented.
"No, the early Church cast lots often to determine a course of direction or even
select the disciple who would take Judas' place."
"Okay," my friend agreed. We flipped the coin and the matter was quickly
settled.
In the Old Testament there are many examples of casting lots for determining a
decision. We hear little of this method today. Most of us do not want to release
the decision process to this seemingly "flippant" process; yet the Lord says,
"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord" (Prov.
16:33). Flipping a coin is the equivalent to casting a lot. It removes our own
opinions and leaves the final outcome to the Lord. Pray before you take such an
action. It will surprise you who is willing to submit a decision to the Lord and
who isn't. It removes the element of control from both parties.
I believe the Lord would first have us make decisions through agreement and
continued prayer for the decision. However, there are times when this approach
can be the quickest and simplest. It removes each person's temptation to lord it
over the other. Cast the lot and settle the dispute.
Excerpted with permssion from the book TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman,
copyright 2000, Destiny Image Publishers, Reprinted by permission. For free
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