My friend Jeff’s face revealed total surprise as he scanned the papers I had just placed in his hands. He looked up at me, stunned, speechless for a moment. He looked down at the papers again. Finally, he regained his voice and looked me in the eye.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “You’re not gonna believe this!”
“Try me,” I said.
Jeff continued: “A friend just gave me a book on this very same subject! She told me that if I ever got to teach on the topic, this book would be a great resource.”
“I believe you,” I assured him. For me, it was just another illustration of God at work when I was not necessarily expecting it.
Since my childhood decision to follow Jesus (some 70 years ago), I have been blessed by those times or places or circumstances in which God simply surprises me. Through ordinary life events, in special situations, in discouraging times, in times of sorrow, and in times of joy, He sometimes shows up unexpectedly.
That day, Jeff and I were meeting to discuss, plan, and pray for an upcoming men’s event at which we both would have the opportunity to encourage and challenge Christian men in their daily walk with Jesus.
The ministry sponsoring the weekend event had entrusted me with the role of matching content to be covered with just the right speaker for each subject. In a nutshell, the ministry instructed me: “Here’s a list of the speakers, and here’s a list of the subjects to be covered. You know these men; match them up with the right topics.”
Case in point: The “assignment” I had just put in Jeff’s hand emphasized what it means to be a part of the worldwide fellowship of people who follow Christ.
“She just gave me this book!” he repeated. “On that subject! Just a few days ago.”
“I guess that confirms it, then,” I responded. “I believe we’re on the right track.” We agreed – sometimes, God simply surprises us with another confirmation that He is indeed working in our lives, even when we may least expect it.
I selected 1 Peter 4:10-11 as a scriptural principle to guide me in each speaker-to-subject match-up I would make:
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Fortunately, I did know a good bit about the speakers the ministry had selected. I knew a bit about their spiritual gifts, their families, their work-a-day worlds. So, I sought God’s guidance all the way.
But frankly – despite my praying and planning – my human nature had not left me fully confident about every match-up.
That day, God showed up again, unexpectedly, reminding Jeff and me that He was on His throne, looking down and taking delight in surprising us. He knew we needed affirmation that we were on the right track.
I have no doubt that through Jeff’s talk a few weeks later, some of the men in his audience found God when they least expected Him.
