A Sure Bet

The Melbourne Cup is finished for another year. Winners and losers have been determined, both on and off the track….and a countless number of dollars around the nation has been wagered on the outcome. 

Gambling is big business in Australia, whether it is horse racing, Lotto or the pokies. Television advertisements provide us with many commercial platforms with which to bet on just about anything. The attraction is always the same: spend a little, and you might just get lucky and win a lot! But….what does the Bible say? Firstly, the Scriptures make it crystal clear that there is no such thing as ‘luck’, good or bad. 

Proverbs 16:33 says:

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord”.  

God is in 100% complete control of every detail in His world. He is sovereign. Nothing is a chance happening. 

Secondly, we are urged to live life trusting God, and being thankful and content. The writer says in Hebrews 13:5, quoting from Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8:

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself said ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.’”

The act of gambling is quite the opposite. It is based on discontentedness, the desire for more without earning it and at the expense of others. It is what the Bible refers to as greed, covetousness and idolatry.

Trusting God is not a gamble. When the sovereign Lord of the universe says He will never leave or forsake you, that is complete security!’ 

– Phil Pratt