“Before you arise from your bed in the morning, I have already arranged the events of your day.”   – thought by Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

Reading this message at the end of the day on Sunday encouraged me.  You see, I had been blessed with several divine appointments throughout the day… and while I recognized them as exactly what they were in those moments it was heart-warming to read this reminder!

Our Heavenly Father knows all… who’s paths should cross ours today, what words of encouragement would be meaningful to me today, what gentle reminders my soul needs to hear today, how long it will take (and the other steps required between now and then) for a problem to be resolved, how many times I need to experience something before “learning my lesson”, what sights of beauty will bring me joy, how my words and life will bring glory to His name… he knows it all, in fact well before we were even born.

I love this reminder!

In Jeremiah 29 we read that “The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel,…” spoke through Jeremiah with these words:

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.  Jeremiah 29:11-13

And in that moment as I walked out of the big box store and ran across a familiar face…  God meant for that precise moment to happen.  There was a reason He ordained for our paths to cross.  I could have kept on walking, keeping my own agenda in mind… or could I have sought Him in earnest in that moment to see what He had planned.

Or in that moment when I chose to arrive to a meeting early (admittedly to get some coveted reading time in) and ended up catching up with old friends who were at the same location… our conversation was blessed in ways that I could not have planned.

God’s direction was evident in my life yesterday… His divine appointments were just waiting for me to see them.

And I thank Him for those moments…  each and every one!