Amazing Timing

Luke 22: ⁷ Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸ Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’

⁹ ‘Where do you want us to prepare for it?’ they asked.

¹⁰ He replied, ‘As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, ¹¹ and say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks: where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ¹² He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.’

¹³ They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

============

“What a life-changing trip” I said to myself as I left my first missionary journey to a large city in a large country on a large continent. It was kind of sad to leave the people, especially the ones I had long conversations. Two years later I went back and was standing in a very populated place. Someone called out my name. It was a person I met two years prior.

• Many times I have run into someone I knew in a strange place at a strange time.
• Many times I have seen circumstances clear themselves up in amazing timing.
• Many times I have been at “the right place at the right time.”

JESUS gives precise instructions on a very random event. HE tells them to follow a guy with a jug of water on his head. There could have been twenty or thirty people doing this. Which one would be the right one? The disciples did has HE said and found everything just as HE said.

• JESUS says to me “I will take care of you.”
• JESUS says to me “MY timing is the best timing.”
• JESUS says to me “There are no coincidences, only MY power.”

GOD’s timing is amazing timing. I mean I have been in some pretty precarious positions and HE has never failed me. HE raises me up when I feel down. In this passage, another amazing timing thing happened. JESUS was being prepared as the sacrifice for mankind on the same day as the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. GOD has no coincidences in my life, only great plans.

• Have you seen GOD’s timing lately?
• Do you think coincidences happen in your life?
• Will you give GOD the credit HE deserves for guiding you in HIS plan HE has for you today?

No Coincidence

Luke 4: ¹⁶ So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

============

 “How in the world am I going to get out of this mess?” I said to myself. This time when the car stopped working, it felt final. I was stuck on the side of the road, in the dark in a place that I suspected was not friendly. After a long time of sitting on my trunk, a couple stopped to give me a ride. I was nervous about them because they did not look or sound like me. “Do you know the LORD?’ was one of their questions. I was relieved.

• I used to think things just happened by chance.
• I used to think things happened randomly.
• I used to think I could make things happen.

JESUS went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and was handed the scroll written by the prophet Isaiah. The timing could not have been more perfect because the verses HE read was about HIM and they described HIS purpose undeniably. Was this a coincidence? No!

• GOD says to me “MY encounters with you are no coincidence.”
• GOD says to me “I knew you before I laid the foundations of the world.”
• GOD says to me “I chose you because of MY SON.”

I may think there are coincidences, but there really are not. Even a dust speck flying in my eye distracting me for a moment is part of GOD’s incredible plan. HE knows my sin and HE knows when I serve HIM with a filled heart.

HE sends people to me to speak about HIM and sometimes HE sends me to people so I can be filled up by them. Dry seasons and seasons of plenty are not flukes but are carefully placed in my life to enable me to be a better ambassador for GOD.

• Do you wish things happened differently in your life?
• Do you think situations happen by chance?
• Will you stop trying to control your life and believe that GOD’s plan for you is a solid well thought out plan?

Incredible Timing

Mark 14: ¹² Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

¹³ And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.¹⁴ Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵ Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

¹⁶ So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

============

Driving on an expressway in a city of millions my junker of a car broke down in the middle of a lane. “What am I to do now?” I thought. Only a few minutes passed when I felt a gentle bump. I looked in my mirror and it was a couple of people gesturing that they would push my car with theirs. I put the car into gear to “pop the clutch” and the car started. Later I found out it was a friend I knew who pushed me.

• There have been times when something great happens to me.
• There have been times when something difficult happens to me.
• There have been times when the timing was just right and things just happened to go my way.

JESUS lays out a plan that on the surface sounds pretty staged. Did HE meet with a guy and set the whole thing up? I don’t think so. JESUS sent HIS disciples to a willing person who was open to share his place. The timing had to be perfect in order for them to follow the right person in this crowded town.

• GOD has incredible timing for me.
• GOD has miraculously watched over me every day.
• GOD has done some amazing things around me that I categorize as the mundane.

Giving thanks to GOD for what I consider “mundane” may be giving HIM thanks for a huge miracle. HIS timing includes protection from harm, guidance during stressful times and paths to HIS awesome plan. GOD’s timing is always incredible for me.

• Can you see GOD’s timing in your life?
• Do you think HE has pulled away from you?
• Will you open the eyes of your heart to see HIM working in your life?

GOD is that you?

John 8: ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

============

My life has been riddled with events that most would just brush off as “coincidences.”  A “coincidence” is the explanation of an event that happened by “chance” in a surprising or remarkable way. What I call a “miracle” some would say “the situation was supposed to happen that way.” What is the explanation for the events that happen in my life?

• There are no coincidences in my life, but many times I believe GOD is not involved.
• There are no coincidences in my life, but I try my best to set myself up to make coincidences happen.
• There are no coincidences in my life, but I brush off the smallest thing as a random event rather than GOD speaking to me.

I can go into a laundry list of tiny events and circumstances that makes me very aware that GOD is speaking daily. Delays in traffic, words from a stranger, seeing a person that looks very familiar all have some purpose that seems random. BUT GOD uses each event to steer me to HIS purpose.

• Once I opened my eyes, I could see GOD working in all events.
• Once I opened my ears, I could hear GOD telling me to serve others in spite of my sins.
• Once I opened my heart, I could feel GOD’s love every day and HIS motivation consumes me.

I’m no better than the next person.  I have no special powers, rather GOD has all the power. But I can listen to GOD speak every day and HE says, “Serve even though the service won’t be seen.” He says, “Give even though no one will say thanks.” He says “Forgive and I will forgive you.” Yes, GOD speaks and it’s up to me to hear what HE has to say.

• Is GOD speaking to you?
• Does it disturb you that GOD hasn’t spoken to you if you haven’t heard HIM?
• Are you too busy listening to yourself?
• Are you trying so hard to get your way that you can’t hear GOD?
• Won’t you try asking GOD “what do YOU want me to do?”