Divine Appointment

 I met a lady in Amarillo this morning named Rachel. We struck up a conversation as she did her job serving me. She was pretty chatty and I saw an open door so I went for it. I asked her if she knew where she would spend eternity. She told me about her faith in the Lord. I shared an abbreviated version of my testimony.  Later on she dropped a comment that I had to act on. She told me she was having a biopsy later in the day that she was pretty concerned about. I seized the divine appointment and told her I wanted to pray for her right then. She looked surprised but welcomed the prayer. We bowed our heads and prayed. 

How often do we miss the divine appointments God puts right in front of us. We can get so wrapped up in our own lives that we miss the needs of others all around us. I may never see Rachel again. In that moment, I hope God replaced fear with comfort and faith. She was obviously worried to share that news with a complete stranger. She had no idea I was a pastor. Multiple people at that establishment could have served me. God put us together just to remind her that He knows and cares about what she is going through. 

We are supposed to live on mission for the Lord. Not just when we gather to worship. We are to be on mission at work, as we conduct business around town, and out at social gatherings. There is always someone hurting nearby. If we learned to walk with discernment, God reveals those people who need a comforting hug, a word of comfort, and a prayer of hope. There are many people who have lost hope. They have tried in vain to solve their own problems, but are unable to do so. They cannot free themselves from addiction. They cannot fix the sin in other's or their own lives. They face scary health problems no doctor can heal. They stare at a mountain of debt that seems immovable. God can help in all those situations. He offers peace in the storms of life. It is our job to connect people to God's help. 

 Jesus walked slowly through the crowds and saw needs. We often rush through the crowds to get to our next thing oblivious to the hurting people around us. Jesus saw the leper in Matt 8. He paid attention to the demoniac, woman with a hemorrhage, and synagogue official with a sick daughter in Mark 5. Jesus had compassion for the distressed and dispirited people in Matt 9:36. He made time for the blind man in Luke 18. He often altered His schedule to help the broken and needy. We must follow His example. There are multiple ministry opportunities outside the walls of the church. We must open our eyes and our hearts to be ready for our next divine appointment.