Expect the Unexpected with God

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."  -Proverbs 19:21

Have you ever considered the many unusual and unexpected things, both good and bad, that have happened in your life? It may seem like they just exploded out of nowhere, and without warning. But, did they..?

What if I were to tell you that many weren't just random occurrences. Some of them had to do with an encounter between you and God! Usually, they take place at points of crisis in our lives.

Think of them as corners that we turn along the way in our spiritual growth and development. A really good illustration of this is Moses' unexpected meeting with God at the burning bush in the Midian desert (Exodus 3:2-3). A closer look at this extraordinary confrontation can help prepare us for the "unexpected"  whenever it comes "our" way. 

To start with, we need to be clear on some things. When it comes to God, there's no such thing as the unexpected. No matter how spontaneous this encounter seems to be, there's precise planning on God's part. And, in Moses case, he was an integral component of God's plan.

We can see the "first part" of this plan come into play beginning from the time the infant Moses was set afloat on the Nile up to the time that he, in a moment of furious rage, killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was mistreating a Hebrew slave (Exodus 2:5-10; 11-15)

Although God didn't tell Moses to do this, he used the unfortunate incident to get Moses out of Egypt so that he could begin the "second part" of his preparatory period. Moses obviously required forty years of seasoning, because that's how long God allowed the evil Pharaoh to stay in power.

After the Pharaoh's death, the obstacle that had kept Moses from going back to Egypt was removed (Exodus 2:23). In the same way, God's hand is on everything that concerns his children; particularly as it pertains to his plan and purpose.

Moses never received any prior warnings or tip-offs as to what was about to happen in his life. He went from being prince of Egypt to a shepherd, which wasn't exactly a promotion in the eyes of the Egyptians at that time. 

And on this special day (the burning bush) he was at the backside of the Midian desert, at Mount Horeb, a place of extreme solitude. You imagine how unusually weird it must have seemed for Moses to come across this bush that was on fire out in the middle of nowhere, yet it never burned up!

To make it even stranger, the angel of the Lord appeared in the fire with a startling command to Moses. Nevertheless, this was the unique instrument, and location, by which God chose to manifest his presence to Moses (Exodus 3:1-4). Why this spectacular method?

Moses was about to set out on the most important mission of his life (Exodus 3:5-22). Before he could represent God to the Hebrew people, he had to receive a vision of the indescribable glory of God in his own soul. There was no time for pondering or mulling it over. God needed to keep his plan moving along.

Needless to say, Moses' life was changed as a result of this unforgettable encounter. But notice how every step along the way had a purpose. God doesn't work in our lives by chance, or rolling the dice. He has specific plans in mind for you and I, too.

The question is: "Are you ready for God to prepare you in whatever ways he deems necessary for a truly life-changing encounter?" God wants to make you into a unique vessel to use for useful and fruitful service. Don't be surprised if he's waiting just around the next corner..!

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28; Psalm 27:14; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 14:24 

Prayer: Dear God, though I don't know what You have planned for me down the road, continue to prepare me for whatever that may be; my heart and soul patiently wait for Your command, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey