Divine Appointments

 

by Barbara Latta

I inhaled the strong aroma of coffee and looked forward to the filled mug that would provide a taste of one of my favorite brews. I had anticipated a visit to our favorite coffee shop since rising one morning a few days ago. 

My husband, Ken, and I entered the building, a restored historic structure with gorgeous hardwood floors, huge ceiling beams from original wood, and stucco walls with crumbled spaces that exposed the old brick underneath.

When we walked in the door we expected coffee but never anticipated a divine appointment.

Customers crowded around the counter to order their favorite drink. Most of the tables on the first floor were filled. I saw a couple of empty ones but decided to go to the lower floor where we had never ventured before. I traversed the stairs to save us a place to sit while Ken ordered our coffee.

After we received our coffee and scrumptious cinnamon roll we were “entertained” by the guy at the next table having a conversation with someone online. Technological talk emitted from his mouth faster than a fiber optic cable transmits the internet.

On the other side of where we sat there was a group of people enjoying a Bible study discussion. Hmmm, which conversation would be most beneficial to our ears?

That was a no-brainer, so we gathered our food and drink to move to chairs on the outside of their circle. We eavesdropped through a lesson from the book of James.

Once they dismissed, we introduced ourselves and thanked them for letting us listen for a few minutes. The people were most gracious and invited us to come back anytime for their weekly meetings.

I think this was a divine appointment because I had never before been impressed to go downstairs at this coffee shop. We have experienced many occasions where we have met people we never would have otherwise, and I know God led us to be connected.

We enjoy motorcycle rides with dear friends simply because Ken changed the date of his riding class after he bought his first Harley. He had no obvious reason to alter his class choice other than an impression to do so. Had he attended on the original schedule, we wouldn’t know our riding buddies.

Our choice of where to build the house we now live in connected us to awesome neighbors who have grown into another friendship. We met the pastor and his wife from the church we attended in Korea from what some would call a chance meeting, but we know this was another divine appointment. An unusual meeting at an airport more than 40 years ago produced a special bond with a couple we are still in touch with.

God draws us to different places in our lives that end up being that divine appointment where we connect with people we stay with for the rest of our lives. These meetings are not coincidences but Spirit-led connections. (click to tweet)

The Bible is filled with people who were in the right place at the right time to encounter a blessing from the Almighty they would have missed otherwise. Think about Rahab. She came in contact with the Hebrew spies, hid them, and her life as well as her family’s lives, were saved. She married an Israelite and was an ancestor of King David.

 Ruth was led to glean in the fields of Boaz who later became her husband, and she was the great-grandmother of David.

Jesus prayed before choosing His twelve apostles, but each one still had to accept His invitation. The men were conducting their daily tasks when Jesus walked by. The Spirit drew them to the Son, but every man had to choose to follow that inner persuasion. We could list others where the Lord supernaturally put people together for a purpose.

 I am so thankful for these divine appointments in our lives. We are richer because we followed these inclinations, and I don’t want to think about what we would have missed had we ignored those inner promptings.

 Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:20 NKJV, Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Notice the last part of this verse says we receive above all we can ask or think because of the power at work in us.  The power of the Spirit within us brings us this abundance.

Our acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice gives us access to His power. Because we are given the ability to live in His identity, we can hear the Spirit’s voice.

 What about you? Have you experienced some divine appointments?