About a year ago, I presented a short series of sermons called "Divine Appointments" in which I detailed three amazing encounters I experienced as a chaplain in the jail facilities of Orange County, California--three instances in which God allowed me to witness how he is often at work behind the scenes, arranging events to accomplish his purposes.
I called these encounters "divine appointments" because... well... I have no doubt that's what they were--events that were just too "coincidental" to be "coincidence". It became obvious that these were encounters arranged by God to carry out something extraordinary in the lives of these inmates... and in mine.
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:26-27)
The beautiful verses above are the words of the apostle Paul telling the pagans in Athens about a God who intervenes in our lives, arranging circumstances and events to give us our best chance of finding him, "though he is not far from each one of us."
For the next several posts, Lord willing, I want to share with you how God worked in, and through these divine appointments to reveal his glory and to impact people's lives.
The Jail Ministry
I have always been a teacher at heart. I taught high school for six years before changing careers and going into business. So, when my wife and I became part of a jail ministry team for the local church we were attending, I relished the opportunity to teach again. It was especially gratifying to be entrusted by God and be used by him for such an important kingdom service.
Our one-hour Sunday services in the jails typically began with passing out Bibles and singing a few worship songs. Then, the team would present a couple of brief testimonies intended to encourage the inmates by revealing how God can take the broken pieces of a person's life and fashion them into something truly remarkable. The heart of the service was a short sermon--a message of hope about a loving God who truly cares for all people, even those who have gone astray--maybe, especially those who have gone astray. The hour would end with a gospel message, an invitation, and a closing prayer.
God Speaks
As the designated teacher for the team, I would spend hours and hours preparing biblical messages that I hoped would be an encouragement and a benefit to these lost, incarcerated men and women struggling to find purpose and meaning in their lives. Generally, between ten and twenty inmates would attend the services. I confess that, in the beginning, it was quite disappointing when only two or three inmates would show up, and I was really disappointed when, on rare occasion, only a single inmate walked through the door.
While I've never heard God speak to me with an audible voice, early on in this ministry God "spoke" to me with a loud and clear message:
"You're disappointed? Knock it off! This is my ministry, not yours. I will send whom I will send. Your job is to show up well-prepared to be my witness to these prodigals... oh, and get ready."
"Get ready!?" For what?
What I soon discovered was that every time only a single inmate would show up, God had something amazing in store. I learned to simply wait for his purpose and grace to unfold, and believe me, I was never disappointed.
Divine Appointments
Allow me to make three initial observations regarding the nature of divine appointments.
Observation #1 A divine appointment is often a calling to obedience and trust
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)
We usually think of God’s calling as a summons to service or to a ministry. But often, a divine appointment is simply a calling into a fellowship of trust with God.
Whenever a New Testament writer begins a sentence with “And we know...” he is about to tell his readers something that should be clearly evident about God from the Hebrew Scriptures--something about God’s character--something for which God is notorious.
In this case Paul is telling us that God is notorious for working situations for the good – conditioned on two things; our love for God, and his call to us.
The Bible defines love for God as obedience to God (1 John 5:3). So, for those who have been called, who obey the call, and who trust in God's plan for them, God promises that the outcome will be beneficial in some way.
Observation #2 A divine appointment is an opportunity to glorify God.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism--a Christian creed written in 1647--asks and answers this question:
Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
When we recognize that God’s hand has been working in a situation, that is, that God has provided a divine appointment in our lives, it’s an opportunity to give credit where credit is due. It’s an opportunity to glorify God and by so doing, to fulfill our purpose in life.
It is an opportunity to commend God to others, to speak of God to others, to celebrate God with others, to sing his praises to others (Psalm 145).
Observation #3 A divine appointment is a reason to give thanks.
Here is a verse that is echoed at least a dozen times in scripture: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1 NIV)
Divine appointments are reminders that a good and faithful God is at work, arranging circumstances, staging events, and bringing people into our lives to help us find him, "though he's not far from each one of us." It is evidence that we matter to God, and we should be thankful for these divine expressions of the love God has for us.
Final Thought
In the three posts that follow, I will introduce you to three young men and the undeniable supernatural intervention of God in their lives.
You'll meet Javier, who experienced the faithfulness of God.
You'll meet William, who learned of God's compassion for the poor in spirit.
And you'll meet Nati, who God chose to use in a very special way.
Next Post: Divine Appointments: Javier
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