Dear Friends,
Recently, I experienced one of those chains of events that make me wonder if “coincidences” aren’t really nudges from God. I awakened one morning with words of a poem I had written years ago echoing in my head. The poem was inspired by Isaiah 58, especially verse 11.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
During our devotionals that morning, Bonnie read the message from “Up Words,” the daily devotional by Max Lucado. His message was based on Isaiah 58:11.
At the end of our devotionals, we each randomly pull a card from a set of 365 inspirational cards. Mine was Isaiah 59:9a. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Coincidence? Or was God trying to tell me something? I was reminded of the saying, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”
If you search the Scriptures, you will find that God speaks in different ways. He spoke directly to Abraham, Aaron, Hagar, and Isaiah. He spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. He spoke to and through the prophets. He spoke in visions and dreams, and he spoke through his angels.
God still speaks today; the question is, do we listen? If you are like me, I can imagine God —like the character in the old Verizon commercial — repeatedly asking, “Can you hear me?”
Perhaps, God speaks to you through a song or a phrase. Maybe he speaks to you through a friend who comforts you or in the unexpected kindness of a stranger. Sometimes a series of unexpected events may make you wonder if God is reaching out to you. How can you discern if it is God keeping his anonymity or just a coincidence?
We may not hear from God directly, like Abraham and Isaiah did, and there haven’t been any “angel sightings” reported recently. But when we long to hear from God, He has given us a wonderful hearing aid: The Bible. It’s a great place to find out if the message you are getting is consistent with his Word.
“Inspired by Isiah 58”
Trust God; He will guide you and strengthen your frame.
A spring never ending, find joy in his name.
A light in the darkness, he’ll bless the oppressed.
Like well-watered gardens, by God we are blessed.
Like well-watered gardens, when we kneel to pray,
The Lord sends his Spirit to show us the way
To love and redemption — set free from sin’s stain,
Our hearts become gardens when we let God reign.
So, we’ll feed the hungry, and we’ll help the poor,
Bind wounds of the broken who come to our door.
Lord, give us your Spirit and fill us with love,
To bless, as we’re blessed, by our Father above.
Like well-watered gardens with paths that are clear,
Our lives can bear witness that Jesus is near.
By loving our neighbors and doing what’s right,
Like beautiful gardens, we’ll grow in God’s sight.
Verse for the Week: God speaks in different ways, and we don’t always recognize his voice. Job 33:14 (CEV)
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 