Gates of the City

Written by Sister Rhonda…

The bible is full of stories of divine appointments, and not just happening through the big guys like Moses and Elijah and Paul. No, God can and does use ordinary people like me and you for extraordinary purposes. Look at when Jesus sent the two disciples to get the donkey for him to ride into Jerusalem. Can you imagine someone out of the blue coming up to you and asking for your car? Just like that? He told them to say that the Lord has need of it. Simple. This man handed them the reins to the donkey that would carry Jesus through the crowd, as they laid out palms and cried “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.” Go and do, or stay and give.

Divine appointments come in different ways, for different purposes. One of the things a divine appointment does is to right a wrong. Look at Esther. When Mordecai heard that all the jews were to be killed, he went to Esther for help. He asked her to go to the king to influence him. Esther didn’t do this right away. She considered the danger and sent word to Mordecai tht to appear unannounced before the king meant death. Mordecai answered that if she did nothing she would perish anyway along with her kinfolk. He said a line that moves me everytime I say it or hear it. “For such a time as this.

• “Est 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?

We know how the story unfolds. She decides to petition the king, saying “if I perish, I perish” and was able to show the king that Haman was wicked, and the jews were spared. See, Mordecai knew that Esther was in a position to make a change. Esther, though hesitant at first, carried forward with no thought to the future. Her focus was on the present plight. Don’t you know that at a later time she was able to look back and see how powerful her divine appointment was?

Of course there are smaller instances too. Look at Philip and the Ethiopian. Philip showed up at the right time. The “fullness of time.” It made a difference to the Ethiopian for sure. Act 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. See? He was sent to a specific place, for a specific reason. It was a divine appointment to reach a lost one that was searching for truth.

God has us all in mind! We’re not accidents that happen to fall into the truth on a whim. Even when trials come our way, it can be for encouragement or teaching for someone else. This can be a very special time in our life! Though we suffer, we are blessed! Look at Paul when he was in prison.

• Phil 112 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 *The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

How awesome is that! That Paul rejoiced that his imprisonment caused others to be bold in speaking the word! It’s like Joseph told his brothers when reunited, concerning their selling him into slavery:

• Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive.

We don’t know how our words and deeds will impact people down the road, but know this: an action causes a reaction, and a word spoken can vibrate throughout time. We can and do influence people all the time, perhaps unknowingly. So many want to do a great big thing for God. Go out and save the world or impact thousands of people or feed a nation. We all know that only a few actually accomplish these big things. But maybe God has divine appointments for everyone. There are many that will come your way. How, you ask? Remember this:

• 2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him.

Being willing to be a vessel for Him and learn to see things from a different perspective. You must truly love Him and you must desire holiness and righteousness. We’re not all queens, or kings, or baby prince’ rescued from the river. Most of us are ordinary people. God likes to use that kind, too. Like the volunteers that work at hospitals, or the ones that minister to the prisoners, or the neighbor down the street. Sometimes, I think it is good for us to step back away from our circumstance and look at it through “possibles.” Is it possible that God is teaching me something here? Is it possible that God is using me to teach someone else? Is it possible that I am at an intersection and that the choice that I make will have repercussions for someone else?

We should have an opportunity every day to think, for such a time as this.