Unexpected Appointments

"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Acts 8:37

Good morning, friends!

They happen when you least expect them, don't they?

I was taking care of an errand yesterday with my youngest son Joshua on the way to invite some kids to Bible club for this Saturday.  We stopped at the house of the Grandma of two girls that have been coming, to return something we borrowed, and then we were to carry on.

I was invited in for coffee, Joshua went out to play with the girls, and I was able to share the gospel with a woman that I had really just met for the first time.

When I returned home I mentioned to my husband why we were gone so long:

"Divine appointment."

There is no greater joy than knowing that I was in the right place, at the right time, and God used me to say the right things (at least, I HOPE they were the right things.)  So many times, when I am placed in unusual circumstances, I only think of what I should have said AFTER the fact.

Yesterday, with the Lord's help, the words were there.  Hopefully, I have created a new friendship that will one day be an eternal one.

I have always loved reading the story about Philip and the Ethopian eunuch mentioned in Acts 8.  Until preparing for this blog, I don't think I had ever paid much attention to the context of this passage.  Philip was travelling in Samaria after the persecution that arose after Stephen's death.  Sad, difficult days indeed for those involved.

There was also the encounter with Simon, who tried to buy the Lord's power and blessing with money.  Discouraging.

"Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip..." (Acts 8:26)

Philip left, met with this eunuch who just "happened" to be reading in Isaiah 53, a passage that talks about Christ's sufferings.  The eunuch had one question in his mind:  "Of whom speaketh the prophet this?"

Talk about a golden opportunity!  How sad it would have been if Philip had decided that he was too tired, or too discouraged, or too busy to go.  I'm so glad he did. I'm so glad that the eunuch trusted Christ, and was baptized.  I'm so glad that he "went on his way rejoicing." I'm so glad that Philip was in the right place, at the right time, until the moment that the "Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip."  What a day for rejoicing!

My encounter yesterday was an unexpected blessing to me, but not unknown to God.  He put me in that place, at that time, to meet a need that I couldn't have even known about ahead of time.

May my heart be always ready for divine appointments, whenever they occur.  May I keep my heart clean, my walk with the Lord fresh, so that I will not quench the Holy Spirit and speak His words only.

When the next "rendez-vous"comes, will I be ready?