Ordained Happenstance

“On that night the king could not sleep.

And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds,

The chronicles, and they were read before the king.”

Esther 6:1 ESV

It seemed like just another sleepless night.  In reality, the restlessness the king experienced was at the hand of a mighty God fighting Mordecai’s battle, putting into motion a series of events that would ultimately protect His people.  This was no ordinary sleepless night.

Sometimes the mundane occurrences that disturb my intentions are really God working out His plan.  Therefore, I aim not to despair at what seems like frustration, interruption or nuisance.  Instead, I must trust God in these ordained happenstances.

Moving.  In order to fit all the boxes into the moving truck, my husband and daughter had to take their time in placing each item carefully.  This took forethought and planning, and the bulky and awkwardly shaped items had to go on last.  Consequently, I didn’t know if we’d be able to take an antique school desk or a small loveseat until the entire truck was packed.  All the other pieces had to be put in place first.

Similarly, I can be sure that God is moving all the pieces necessary to His purpose into place before He can advance His plan.  In the same way that the king had to be made aware of Mordecai’s unrecognized heroic acts, there may be some things that must come to light in order for God’s purpose to be realized.  Or other key players might need to be introduced into the mix.  Or it could be necessary that I discover a new location that is crucial to God’s plan.

Therefore, a sleepless night of reflection, or a need to call customer assistance for help, or breaking down in what seems like the middle of nowhere may be God doing just that.  These times of frustrations may just be the hand of God working out His plan.

When circumstances seem to be nothing more than a quirky disturbance to my schedule, it could be the hand of God moving necessary pieces into place so that He can further His kingdom-purpose.

Protection.  If I had been able to leave when I wanted to, sticking to my schedule, I would have been on the road at the exact time of the accident that snarled up traffic on the interstate.  If my husband had not been spacing out at the signal, causing him to pause before obeying the green light, he would have been hit by the car that ran the red light.  If the woman hadn’t been sick that day she would have perished in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Many times, my frustrations are really God’s protections in disguise.  Therefore, when the phone rings to delay my departure, I must not despair but realize God could be ordering my footsteps.  Or when an appointment is rescheduled, I can trust God in His sovereign plan that looks out for my best interest.  Or when the cable suddenly is out, keeping me from watching my favorite show, I can let God have His way in shielding my eyes from the harmful.

When things happen to disrupt my plans, I can trust that God may be at work protecting me from harm of all kinds.

Timing.  His is perfect.  Mine is flawed.  His is based on His sovereign plan.   Mine is centered on what makes me feel most fulfilled, comfortable and content.  His includes all the necessary pieces, wide in scope and capacity.  Mine is narrow and limited.  God’s timing is far superior to mine (Isaiah55:8-9, 2 Peter 3:8-9).

Still, it’s absurd how often I stubbornly insist on having my way, like when He must slow me down, or speed me up.  I often balk at the idea of waiting.  Instead, I’d rather plunge ahead whether I’m ready or not, despite the fact that I may not have all the necessary pieces needed to accomplish the mission, even though I first need to learn a certain lesson.  I’d rather do something toward meeting my goal than to tarry.

Other times I hesitate, hanging along the sidelines, unwilling to jump into the game.  I feel unqualified, ill-equipped and unprepared for such a mission.  So I dawdle, hanging back instead of plunging forward in faith.

In both scenarios, God interjects Himself into my life, slowing me down when I try to run ahead, or speeding me up when I’m delaying.  His timing is perfect and I can count on Him to guide me onto His wonderful path.

When interference trips up my plans, I can trust that God may be syncing me to His timetable.

It’s easy to get frustrated when things don’t go according to my plan.  It’s hard to think how anything good could come out of a sleepless night, or breaking down on the side of the road, or receiving a speeding ticket.  In each instance, though, I can be reassured that God is moving all the necessary pieces into place to further His plan, protecting me from harm, and catching me up to His perfect timetable.  What seems like a fluke, then, could actually be an ordained happenstance.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember God is always working out His perfect design in my life.

How do I balk at interruptions to my schedule instead of realizing God could be putting things in order?

When am I most likely to get frustrated at the irritations of life that may just be God syncing my schedule with His?  

* On a personal note, as if to illustrate today's devotional, my Internet was down for several hours this morning.  I worked around it, trusting God that He is at work in some way and that there is a reason it was to be posted later.  There's nothing like on-the-job training, is there?