ABC GLOBAL DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Topic: Time and Chance: The Mystery of Mercy

2026 – The Year of the Word
Date: January 6th, 2026

Scripture Reading:
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned and saw under the sun that; 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.

Romans 9:16
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

Key Thought:
Destiny outcomes are governed by mercy, not human advantage.

Devotional:
Solomon observed a deep mystery under the sun: the race is not always won by the swift, nor the battle by the strong. This truth confronts the belief that effort alone determines outcomes.

If efforts alone do not determine outcome, what then determines outcomes? The scripture calls it time and chance.

Scripture reveals that time and chance, which is an expression of God’s mercy, happens to all. Time and chance are not random events, they are expressions of divine mercy at work in human affairs.

Romans 9:16 clarifies this mystery:
So then it is not of him who wills or runs, but of God who shows mercy.

Being at the right place at the right time is not a reward for effort alone; it is an allocation of divine mercy.

Having this understanding humbles strength, silences pride, and redirects our trust to God.

Prayer:
Father, I acknowledge that my life depends on Your mercy. Let mercy speak for me in every decision and opportunity. Amen.

Declaration:
By mercy, I arrive at the right place at the right time.