Human nature is far too complex to be categorised into any binary such as a devotee or non-devotee. That is how religion has always tried to do but life and destiny operate in real time and all efforts of the human mind to discover a simple one to one equation of life never really succeed. There are just too many variables impinging upon man at any given point in time making it difficult to have any simple predictability. Even where the event is almost certain to happen yet a sudden turn may come changing everything.
From a deeper point of view, while survival of a particular bodily form in one life is surely important from an individual’s point of view, its longevity is not the sole or the main matter from the divine vision which is much more concerned with our soul’s progress. Besides, it is important to understand that the soul has its freedom of choice and if it wants to leap through by jumping across a particular life before completing its normal average life span, then this choice is respected. Neither the Divine nor even material nature work in a completely mechanical way. The individual soul has its say and if it wants to quit early then there is very little that the Divine will do to contradict its choice.
Finally, while the Divine can and does intervene to protect and safeguard those who trust Him yet the criteria of trust is within. It is not an automatic process whereby joining an institution you are automatically guaranteed protection. One may be a self-proclaimed devotee or even part of an institution dedicated to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and yet be full of self-will, doubts and fear. It is this that the Divine sees and it is this something within that opens and calls for the intervention of the Grace and is receptive to Its workings. Without this faith, this opening and receptivity to Her Grace one is hardly a true devotee whatever one may outwardly profess to be.
