Yesterday, I introduced the concept of “luck studies” and told you about Richard Weismann, who conducted several clinical investigations to determine if there is anything to the concept of “luck” and whether or not it’s purely coincidental. Today, I want to share with you one of his most fascinating analyses. 

In the famous “newspaper study,” individuals comprising two separate groups of people were given a newspaper and told to find out how many pictures were in the periodical from cover to cover. The catch, however, was on the second page, where there was a little “cheat sheet” that in bold writing said, “There are 32 pictures in this newspaper.” Mr. Weismann’s goal was to see who would catch that. To his surprise, he found overwhelmingly that those people who viewed themselves as lucky located the clue and that those who did not did not see the clue and got the number wrong. Why would this be? According to John Maltby from the University of Leicester, “People who believe in bad luck don’t engage in some of the processes needed to bring about positive outcomes.” Unfortunately, when they stop trying, it reinforces the idea that they will never have good fortune, and as a result, negative things keep happening. It’s a snowball effect!

Friend, my goal today (and always), far beyond mere luck, is to convince you that you have every reason to expect good things in your life! The God who created the entire universe has the number of hairs on your head counted. Before you ever speak a word, He already knows what you are going to say, and He is constantly thinking about you. He is infinitely good, all powerful, and has a vested interest in your outcomes since you are His child. You can anticipate the best in your future, not because you have a conjured-up belief in good fortune, but because He has you in His Hands and He delights in giving you good gifts!