Blogmaniac’s Catch-up Post #1

July 27, 2006

Brother Lar,

Thanks for the anniversary wishes.  I do appreciate it.  Interestingly enough, I was commenting yesterday on the providence of God during a Bible study I enjoyed in State College, and I made mention of the Lord’s gracious providence in meeting my beautiful wife, Erin.  What stirred this thought was the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.  It is just breathtaking isn’t it?
Here you have the angel of the Lord telling Philip to rise and go toward the south road (apparently a road with which he is familiar).  He obeys and happens to find an Ethiopian eunuch who had just left Jerusalem after worshiping the Lord–who is reading Isaiah 53!  Is that just coincidence?  I think not.  It is the sovereign will of our omniscient God.

Just imagine the timing of it all.  Perfect timing.  Literally perfect.  The time Philip received the word, to the time Philip left the house, to the pace Philip walked, to the pace of the chariot, to the thought in the Ethiopian’s head to read Isaiah 53–or the pace of his Bible reading plan. I don’t know the distance they both had to travel, but what about some stranger they talked to on the way, or a wheel that had to be fixed for the chariot, or a ‘bathroom’ break.  Any number of factors, hundreds probably, went into this “chance” encounter.  I love it!  Doesn’t it just make you stand in awe of our glorious God?

The man is converted and quickly baptized.  Philip then disappears, but isn’t it beautiful how the Lord saw fit to take the gospel to Ethiopia?  And this is just one of trillions of small examples of the providence and goodness of our sovereign God.  He has a plan as we walk through our days.  The Lord works in such a way that we have a hard time seeing it!  He is the God of all circumstances.  We bump into a friend we haven’t see in years.  Coincidence?  No.  A divine encounter.  We walk into a church and hear a message that changes our lives.  Coincidence.  No.  Another divine encounter.  A phone call that interrupts what we think we need to be doing.  Coincidence?  A bad thing?  By no means!  Just another divine encounter.  I attend a charity event 6 years ago (or so) and a pretty girl from the soccer team catches my eye.  Coincidence?  No.  Once again, another glorious divine enounter.  Just our great and sovereign God working all things out according to the counsel of His will.  And O how thankful I am!

That’s enough for now.  I’ll check back in later with a little response regarding the discipline and habit of reading.

Basking in the glory of His providence with you,

Joe

Posted by Joe | Filed Under Seeking Him 

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