GOD SIGHTINGS 101
Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Psalm 34:8a
Every time we’re in a group setting where someone marvels at the favorable coincidences of his or her life, my hubby’s eyes dart toward me. He knows what’s coming as I say, “There is no such thing as coincidences – only God incidences!”
It is God who coordinates everything in His perfect wisdom and time. Proverbs 16:33 says, The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. And Matthew 10:29 says that not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
God is at work in our lives and in this world. Sometimes His hand is seen with exceptional power like the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Sometimes His finger is in the tiniest details like a timely reminder from His Spirit to respond with a gentle answer instead of a harsh word (Proverbs 15:1).
Oswald Chambers wrote, “We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.”
So how do we see God everywhere – in the exceptional and in the details?
- Slow down and be still. Too often we listen with our mouths open! We’re too uncomfortable with the silence. We must learn to practice a blessed quiet. Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10a).
- Examine your day. Be observant throughout every activity and conversation. At the end of the day ask: Where did I see God at work? What were the signs that He was present? Were there moments when I missed seeing Him? My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).
- Write it down. Start a God sightings journal. After the defeat of the Amalekites when Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands, God said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered” (Exodus 17:14). Journaling helps us record and remember the ways God is at work. It’s a tangible way to recall His faithful presence in our lives.
PASSION Step: Where did you see God during this past season of GEMS? Where did you see Him at work within your ACTS area? Have coffee with your ACTS partner or GEMS counselor team. Share the God-sightings and give Him thanks.
In the end, one must finally come to see that if there is a God in heaven, there is no such thing as mere coincidence, not even in the smallest affairs of life.
John Piper
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