Do you ever run into someone unexpectedly, have a surprisingly meaningful conversation, and just know it wasn’t a coincidence? Those types of encounters are divine appointments - meetings that God orchestrates unbeknownst to us. Divine appointments can happen between long lost friends or complete strangers. They can be with someone you never expected to see again or someone that's been on your mind a lot lately. The point is that you're spiritually fed by the exchange and energized in your faith. Often the other person says just what you needed to hear, or their presence alone changes your day for the better. Or perhaps it’s an opportunity for you to share the Gospel. I've had several people stop for a blessing and essentially tell me our encounter was a divine appointment. They just happened to take a different route to work, were commuting at a different time than normal, or were in the neighborhood for some random reason when they spotted me. I even received an email from someone who saw me from a cab while riding up Madison Ave. She looked me up on my church’s website and asked to meet. I was happy to oblige of course. She said that seeing me standing there in front of the church was a sign from God that she needed to reignite her faith. She ended up attending my church for a few months, albeit sporadically, before relocating to a different state.
Divine appointments affirm that we are divinely appointed. "You did not choose me but I chose you," Jesus said. "I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." (John 15:16). The best thing about divine appointments is the amazement they engender - that delightful combination of wonder and gratitude that gets you every time. And thank God for that. Realizing anew that God is in the details of our lives creates the perfect conditions for bearing fruit.
