I have recently been amazed at how God has orchestrated the paths and lives of various people to converge at a single moment in time to bring about His purpose. Sound dramatic? Well….maybe a little. But, when I consider that nothing is life is truly random or coincidental, it amazes me when I see what seems to be isolated events and people all seem to come together for His purpose in His time.
Consider different people whom God has on different paths in their lives. One may be seeking more of Him; another, desires to be used by Him;still, another desires more intimacy and more fellowship; one is crying out to hear Him feeling desperately forsaken;another is seeking greater understanding of each member of the Trinity;another longs to see Scripture come alive in his own life. Yet, God works in such a way that their paths come together for His purpose in each of them. And, it awakens those desires in others or encourages those who are at a different spot on that journey.
It’s easy to look on, particularly if one is opposed to what they see, and assume that there’s a lot of deception going on-deception that appears to be far-reaching. And, it appears to be orchestrated by one or a few who are led by the enemy. It’s a situation ripe for misunderstanding. We see the one traveler and don’t really like what we see. It’s outside our comfort zone. And, later, when we realize another has reached that same point, we quickly assume that the 1st has influenced the latter. And, it can be a fearful thing if the 2nd traveler is too close to us. And that fear grows when other travelers assemble at that spot.
It’s ok when traveler #1 has his experience. It seems distant….let them deal with it. But….when one closer in proximity begins to exhibit the same experience….we easily assume the travelers have been together all along and have influenced each other. Or, that 1 of them suddenly hit on the other and blinded him to truth. When, in reality, God has been working in both their lives, individually.
It’s a powerful testimony to me of His sovereignty in our lives. He has me on a journey and He knows exactly what I will need at a particular point in that journey….He has another on a totally different journey….and somehow, that person meets me at that particular point, meeting the exact need I have. He uses each to speak into the other’s life….because their paths converge. And, in typical, yet wonderful fashion so like Him, there are other people at that particular place as well. None of these travelers were ever aware of the bigger picture or of other sojourners. In fact, for many of the travelers, the journey thus far has been a lonely one. Yet, here we are….reaching out to one another, supporting, praying and encouraging…..all because way back when God placed us each on a path He designed for us.
It is truly awesome! We serve an amazing God! A God who directs our lives for our good and His glory!