Finding Meaning Through Divine Interruptions

People often as me the question, “What you doing today?” Too often I look at my calendar to answer the question without really comprehending the opportunities. I often have missed the significance of such a question. I am too often skipping through my day without even a thought of God’s plan for my day-to-day activities.

I’ve come to learn that God actually has another plan for my daily activities. That is usually very different from what I would assume to be his plan. But in actuality, God works in mysterious ways. If I would allow him, they would be far more surprises and reasons for personal testimonies. I would perhaps see more God sightings if I thought more clearly of His plan that I often overlook.

We’re all filled with distractions. We put our minds to work on the natural and often miss the supernatural. You see, if my day is planned by myself, any good that may come of it is quickly stolen away by my bragging which leaves little room for God’s Glory!

Often we pack our schedules leaving little room for God to do what he would choose to do if only we let him. Nevertheless, God does interrupt our day. He does this usually to remind us of the importance things of life; God’s plan. We can miss tremendous opportunities that only God could orchestrate.

Colossians 4:3 — And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

I am taking back by this passage of Colossians because it challenges me to think about God‘s perspective and to realize the supernatural; divine appointments that he could set up if I only we let him. Divine interruptions are God’s way of nudging us to action; His way! 

What if we thought in terms of Colossians 4:3 every day? Making if we made this our daily prayer? What if we spent time asking God for opportunities so that we would proclaim his truth in the life of another? What if that interruption, though annoying as it may be is just really God’s way of nudging us to a deeper and more meaningful experience both with him and in the lives of others?

There are many in our world today that are longing for God‘s meaningful touch in their lives. And yet there are many who fill their schedules so that they can find meaning of their own lives. I wonder, could God make a plan that would both satisfy the needs of those looking for God‘s touch while also satisfying the needs of others looking for mean in their lives? 

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Meeting The Most Powerful....

Who is the most powerful person you have ever met? For Christians, the most powerful meets us where we are. In prayer, we speak with God through Jesus, who intercedes for us. Prayer, simply put, is talking to God through our intercessor, Jesus Christ. 

I enjoy having conversations with strangers. I make every effort to move the conversation from the day-to-day into the extraordinary. One way I do this is asking people, How can I pray for you? I phrase the question this way because I’m not asking them IF but how. It is a question that usually elicits a response that is affirming rather than them giving a flat-out answer, “No, you cannot!”  I often hand them a cross to let them know that God loves them! 

Prayer connects us to God because of what Jesus did on our behalf. It is through Jesus that we have an advocate, bringing our needs before God in heaven. Without going into depth theologically, prayer is simply the lining of our will with God‘s Will.

When we pray we seek wisdom, direction, help, and hope. Through God’s Grace we have access to the most powerful, who is God. Prayer not only changes things, it changes us. “Cast all your concern on Him.” (1 Peter 5:7)

What do you need to talk to God about? 

For Even One!

Matthew 18:12-14

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

God demonstrates His love by coming to the least and lonely. He left His heavenly home to become our sin offering! 

God’s message, woven through scripture is that He reaches down to you and me. We are the lost sheep Jesus is talking about!

After the disciples had grumbled with one another about who was the greatest, Jesus instructs them using the example of a child. He reminds them to care about what matters to God!

Matthew 18:2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

I want to share with you how the scripture applies to each one of us as we think about our responsibility in God’s Kingdom, for His sake and for His glory.

I want a key in on the following passage in Matthew 18:12 - 14. It is about the good shepherd.

Our Good Shepherd has extended his grace for even just one of us!  

— The least!

— The last!

— The lost!

We love children and youth (& their families) because Jesus cares about them. **We ARE THAT ONE JESUS LEFT THE NINETY NINE TO RESCUE!!** 

Understanding of the good shepherd, who would die to protect his sheep. And even for just one, leaving the 99 for JUST ONE!! 

Children are the example Jesus gives to define the importance of the Shepherd. He notes that children are near to his heart, they are the vulnerable!

We read further that the intent for understanding the parable is to know that Jesus is divine!

John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

And further, verses 14-16. Vs. 14: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

Here we read that Jesus is the Greatest Shepherd, God with us! He is our protector and defender. He is willing to lay down his own life!

He does lay down his life as our sin offering to atone for our wrongdoing (sin). He also rises from the dead to declare his Lordship over sin, death, and the grave! 

There are three questions we are encouraged to answer as we reflect on the Word of God. 

The least! Who is beneath you?

The last! Who is behind you?

The lost! Who is outside of your vision?