Put God to the Test: FrontLine Sept/Oct 2023

Kristopher Endean

“My God will supply every need of yours” (Phil. 4:19).[1] This blessed text is just one of many in which the Scriptures promise that God will provide for His people’s financial needs. Although God has not specified exactly how He will provide for us, He has revealed general principles. God has ordained both the end (providing for His children) and the means. God generally provides through hard work (Ps. 128:1–2; 2 Tim. 2:6), gifts of inheritance (1 Chron. 28:8), and generosity among the people of God (Phil. 4:16). But God can also provide by sending manna like dew, piling up quail around the camp, or streaming water from a rock (Ps. 105:40–41).

So could God provide the money for your medical bills, school bill, car repairs, or grocery budget through winnings from gambling? Gambling in various forms is becoming legal in more places and is more accessible everywhere. (As I write, a third major casino is opening in our town.) Especially if you are working hard in your God-given vocation and still struggling to make ends meet, it is a legitimate question: Would God be pleased to give you a shortcut to financial success by providing through the local lottery? (And, while we’re at it, wouldn’t it be cool to tithe on $31 million?)

Could God provide through the lottery? Perhaps. Should I expect that He will? I would say no. Here is why: Gambling is putting God to the test—something expressly forbidden in Scripture.

TESTING GOD: THE PROBLEM

 Here is the scenario: God gives you money through a legitimate channel. You say, “Dear God, thanks for the money. But instead of using it for my necessities, I converted it into bets. Since I know that You control the casting of the lot, I sure hope that You cast it in my favor so that You will protect what You already gave me rather than letting the casino keep it.” But what if God chooses not to intervene in your foolishness? Then you once again will need the same provision through a legitimate means, like more hard work or more generosity from others.