Make Room for Divine Interruptions
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard Him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
John 21:7 (NIV)
Have you ever noticed how Jesus has a history of showing up when you aren’t really looking for Him, and sometimes, when you try and spend time with Him, it seems like He’s nowhere to be found? Some of the most powerful moments of my life have been little divine interruptions where I’m not necessarily looking for Jesus, but He all of a sudden shows up in an unexpected way. I heard someone say once that we need to have an expectation without an agenda in our approach to Jesus. We need to expect that He will show up. We need to expect that He will be faithful to meet us. However, we need to let go of our agendas and timetables.
If Jesus is Lord, which He is, that means I don’t try to control or tell Him how to run my life or the world. I know that each day, each week, I expect to encounter Him in His way. This can be frustrating, but it can also be freeing. Peter thought the whole movement of Jesus had ended at His crucifixion, and he went back to his old craft, fishing. Yet one day on the boat, Peter wasn’t looking for Jesus, but Jesus showed up in a unique way. Notice Peter didn’t say, hey, Lord, any chance we can meet for lunch? I’m kind of busy right now. Peter embraced this divine interruption, and he literally jumped off the boat and started making his way to Jesus. Here’s the point: a meeting in the office, a small group, a friendly conversation with the neighbor, a family dinner, a day on the golf course, a night of tossing and turning in the bed can all be places where God shows up in a mighty way. Make room for those divine interruptions by letting God speak to you and being faithful to what He might put on your heart to share or do. I think part of the reason Jesus shows up like this is He wants to show us He’s not limited to a simple morning/evening devotion or a Sunday morning service. He wants us to know that with Him, any ordinary moment can suddenly turn into an extraordinary moment. Expect God to show up. Look for Him each day and how He may be speaking or moving. Don’t give God a schedule or agenda when He can show up. Learn to look for Him daily, and you’ll be surprised by the little moments He unexpectedly shows up.
Application: Today, look for big and small ways God might be working and join Him.
Prayer: Ask the Spirit to give you spiritual eyes to see and hear His voice in new and fresh ways. Ask the Spirit to awaken your heart and mind to the reality that God isn’t confined to our morning meetings or nighttime devotions, but He’s with us every moment!
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?