Expect a divine appointment!

WED Evening Prayer Reflection 081220 (Acts 6: 1-15; John4:1-26)

Expect a divine appointment!

I don’t know if during moments of reflection on our daily walks, we can spot special moments where God is clearly in the picture. It may be a time where you pray for something and right there, your answer comes. We often call these moments divine encounters. Our Gospel story begins with Jesus tired and sitting on Jacob’s well situated in Samaritan country. Jews and Samaritans didn’t mix, so Jesus was about to meet someone whom in normal circumstances it would not be easy to meet. I call this a surprise divine appointment. I am convinced that we all have those moments whether we are aware of it or not. Take for example our story in the book of Acts.

The disciples found themselves in the middle of caring for the needy in their community. They were full of the Holy Spirit and God was meeting people’s needs through them. Stephen, one of the followers of Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, power and wisdom of God that people were just amazed. Not only the disciples were trying to provide food but also, they were sharing the Gospel which was the very reason they were there. They were also meeting their spiritual need. Some people didn’t like that, so they began to test Stephen and to plot against him. The Bible tells us that they couldn’t stand His wisdom. I am drawn to think that since light exposes the darkness, it is likely that when Stephen was trying to meet their spiritual need, they really resented that, especially if he challenged their lifestyles.

I believe we are like them. We often don’t like it when we get challenged or told that we are wrong. In fact, we want people to always agree with us and if not, we do not want to have anything to do with them. Is it safe to assume that’s perhaps the reason they resented Stephen, who was full of divine grace, power and wisdom? Trust me! we don’t need people who always agree with us, they have no capacity to teach us anything new if they agree with us always and think like us! There was a family podcast where someone asked a pointed question: what would you do, if your spouse or loved one was struggling with an addiction? Confrontations are always uncomfortable but they are vital.

We need people who tell us the truth. It’s the only way we can march in Jesus: Staying in the lane of the truth, the way and the life. Nowadays, politicians will tell us, your salvation will be assured if you only agree with me. There are even countries where it is forbidden to disagree with the leaders. Hopefully we are not going towards such trajectory. Stephen was being persecuted for what he believed. They couldn’t accept to be challenged. We should train ourselves to like being challenged so we can examine if we are still in the lane of the truth.

We ought to listen to those who present us with divine challenge: Doctors have to remove the Band-Aid, if they are to care for the wound. The process is painful, but it is the only way to treat the wound. We are all wounded, sometimes we act, out of the pain of our wounds. Jesus knows that, that’s why he interacts with us through His word, so we can be aware of our situation spiritually. May be my challenge is to change my attitude in how I interact with my family/ my spouse. Is it a particular habit of mine that needs to change? Perhaps, it’s one of those things when I must swallow my pride and ask forgiveness for my part in the breakdown of communication or relationship. I may not enjoy the process but it leads to life/ harmony/joy and peace. Our connection to Jesus leads us to eternal life.

This leads me to Jesus divine appointment with the Samaritan woman. Two people whom in normal circumstances wouldn’t meet. When we meet Jesus, we experience the goodness and righteousness of God… She was confronted with the truth. She didn’t resist. She didn’t tell Jesus: “Hey, that’s my private life, leave me alone.” She was fetching water, but Jesus revealed to her that she had an even deeper thirst which is of a spiritual nature. Was she at peace in life? Was she loved and appreciated? Jesus was saying to her, [I am paraphrasing]: “I am the one who could satisfy your deepest spiritual thirst. You see, you are on husband number 5, and that one isn’t even yours. You are searching and you haven’t found what you are searching.”  Jesus told her: “I am he! The one talking to you: The Messiah." Jesus is the only one capable of satisfying our spiritual need.

In my evangelical training days, I listened to many people’s testimonies of how they connected with Jesus of Nazareth. Their divine appointments were spectacular: They changed their behaviors, their thinking, their lifestyles, their friends, and in some cases, the kinds of clothes they wore. They wanted everything new beginning with their new commitment to Christ. Their outlook on the inside had to be as much different as the outlook on the outside! I always loved listening to their stories. They were my unsung heroes. A lot of people came to Christ after listening to them speak.

God does speak to us often. If we pay attention, we may encounter the divine in the most ordinary circumstances of our day.

Amen