Deebot Debunks Random

Everything seems to happen so randomly. This seems true particularly of the opposite ends of the spectrum of human experience—tragedy and boon, suffering and pleasure, despair and delight. Tragedy seems to hit randomly. But, so does unexpected fame and fortune. The key word in the above is “seems.” Personally, I do not believe in random—lacking pattern, arbitrary, by chance, etc. Several years ago, at a holiday dinner our family engaged in an animated and fiery debate of whether there is any such thing as random. I remain UNconvinced that random is random. I just observed our Deebot, our robot vacuum cleaner, at work, and, as I watched its “random” changes in the directions and paths it took across the carpet, I became more sure than ever that there is no such thing as random. Once Deebot is turned on, she takes off in a seemingly random direction. Yet, that direction is determined by the placement of her base, or by where her owner has carried and placed her. She plows forward over the carpet until she encounters a wall, a piece of furniture, a crawling baby, a foot, a book—you get the picture. Then, she turns and seems to take off randomly in a different direction. Admittedly, if you look at the pattern she leaves on the carpet, it looks like her perambulations have been random. Yet, her every turn and change of direction has been determined. First, the very parameters of the room have determined the range of her movements. Each object that stands in her path demands she change direction. Once she collides with a wall or other object, the next direction she travels is determined by which of her bumpers has experienced the impact. How far she pivots is determined by the programmed calibrations of her bumpers’ sensors. Folks that have watched Deebot in action have said, “She moves so ‘random’.” But, actually, as elucidated above, no! Neither is life random. This analogy should not be used to promote godless determinism; nor, should it be used to promote predestination—the belief that God has chosen and fixed the destination of each individual. The greatness of God’s sovereignty is best revealed, not by His determining each’s destiny, but by His giving each a free choice of his own destiny. We humans are not Deebot robots. We are not pre-programmed. We have free-will. God does not force our choices. Even with free-will in the equation, the will, purposes, and plan of God will happen. God is sovereign. God is in control over all things, especially the events of our lives, the extent of our lives, the exigencies of our lives. This truth is the theme and key to understanding the Book of Revelation. The Revelation was not given to help folks figure out the name of the antichrist. It was given to suffering Christians to encourage them in their suffering with the fact that God was sovereign. God was in control. All through the Revelation we read, “This will happen this long, and no longer.” “It will affect this many, and no more.” “It will go this far, and no farther.” “Satan will be allowed to do this, but not that.” God is in control. Whether tragedy or triumph, the events of our lives are not random. “The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord.” “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” God is sovereign. All is not random. All is ruled by God. Just now, Deebot got stuck. She protested with fervent beeps. My wife just went and rescued her, freed her, set her at home base to be recharged and refreshed. Yet, my wife would not have (at least not at that moment) had Deebot not cried out. Cry out to God. You will discover that your life is not random nor meaningless. God will reach down and rescue, help, strengthen. Deebot’s done for now. So, I’ll quit too. After all, Deebot wins the random argument.

Deebot Debunks Random

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