Divine appointments, not coincidence, show God is at work

Cal Lord
·3 min read
4

Dear Friends,

The meeting was scheduled for 5:00 o'clock.

I had twenty minutes to waste so I decided to burn off some nervous energy and started doing laps around Fellowship Hall. It isn't exactly a fitness center, but I've always heard that you can exercise anywhere. As I was rounding the corner on my tenth lap, I noticed a magazine sitting on the back table.

I don't believe in coincidences. I'd been looking for new ideas for fall activities at the church. I wasn't really excited about the few things I had come across in my internet search. So when I opened up the latest edition of Outreach Magazine that was sitting there, in a place we don't usually put magazines, I had to wonder if this was God speaking to me.

Cal Lord
Cal Lord

I've always told people that when the Scriptures say Jesus just happened to come by that it was never a coincidence. It wasn't dumb luck that Jesus showed up the same day he met the woman at the well in John 4. That encounter changed her life. It wasn't an accident that Jesus came by and saw Zaccheus up in the tree. He ended up having dinner with him and his friends.

I believe these serendipitous moments are divine appointments. God sets them up so that he can speak into our lives. He arranges them so that he can work his will through us. I will never forget the day I had this sudden urge to stop at the grocery store. It was late. I was tired. I thought about ignoring it but the gentle nudge became more pronounced. So I stopped.

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Guess what happened? I ran into an acquaintance who praised God when she saw me. She was from a sister church. She told me she was going through a difficult time and had just asked God to send her a sign that he was listening. Then she said, "You showed up and I knew God heard my prayer." We prayed together right there in the aisle. I am so glad I heeded the nudge of the Holy Spirit.

The truth is that God is always at work. What we consider a chance meeting often develops into something much more. It is an opportunity to do ministry. We should pause, pray and ask God what he wants us to do when these unexpected encounters pop up. Too often, God puts the person on our heart just before we see them. When that happens you know it's not a coincidence.

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Jesus always seemed to know where he was going next even if it seemed like a coincidence. Do you know why? I believe it was because he was always talking to the Father. Prayer was the fuel that drove his mission. The same can be true for us. Amazing things happen when we start our day in prayer and ask God to guide our steps. In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss,

"Oh! The places you'll go. You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! 

You'll join the high flyers who soar to great heights.

So next time you meet someone unexpectedly, don't look at it as a coincidence. It is a God sighting. You should view it as a sign that God is with you and looking to create a blessing. Then watch what happens!

God bless! See you in church. Cal

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Divine appointments, not coincidence, show God is at work