Have you ever felt as if there was someone behind the scenes orchestrating some extraordinary circumstances in your life?
I recently experienced such an occasion as a new friend in Tennessee introduced me to another new friend in Florida, and the new friend in Florida just so happens to live down the road from an old friend of mine. What strikes me as extraordinary about this introduction was that it came just one day after my old friend in Florida sent me a text to discuss the possibility of meeting up in the near future. Within a 24 hour time span, I had received a message to hang out with an old friend in Florida and made contact with a new friend down the road from him who also wanted to meet with me. After a few phone calls and some strategic travel planning, I found myself eating breakfast with my new Florida friend on Monday morning and dining with my old friend that very night.
Adding even more curiosity to the situation, my old friend was at a point where he needed some insight and counsel from me, and I was at a similar point where I needed the same sort of counsel from my new friend. From where I sit, the odds of all this working together are about as slim as they get. One might say it would take a miracle to orchestrate something of this caliber.
The evening I met with my old friend, he asked, “So what are you doing in Florida?” When I explained to him the sequence of events over the past year, which ultimately led to my plans to travel to Florida, his response was, “Man, you are like the ‘master of coincidence.'” I shrugged my shoulders with a smile and thought to myself, “No, I’m not the Master of coincidence… but I know Who is.”
We shared a great time together that evening, catching up on the ups and downs of the last few years, and for the first time in our 13 years of friendship, I had the opportunity to pray specifically for and with this friend who is admittedly not a Christian. This friend is one of the sharpest minds and kindest hearts I know, yet he’s been dealt a series of really unfortunate circumstances over the course of his lifetime that have left him wondering about the meaning and purpose of life. This divine appointment was the first time I’d really been able to dig deep into the foundations of my faith and share with him what I believe may help him unveil the answers to many of his questions. As we wrapped up our time together, he seemed very grateful for the random set of circumstances that led to our meeting that night, and as we prayed, I made sure we thanked the One responsible for it all.
Perhaps you’ve experienced some mind-boggling coincidences in your lifetime. Maybe you’ve been pondering the meaning and purpose of life through all your random ups and downs. If this is you, be encouraged. Coincidences do indeed happen… but not by accident. There is a Divine Director behind the scenes, dropping you hints of His presence along your way through life. He loves you, He wants a relationship with you, and He wants to have His own divine appointments with you every single day. The question is, will you give credit for your coincidences where it’s due and draw closer to God, or will you chalk it up to mere happenstance and give no concern to the Originator of your circumstance?
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. Is. 46:9-11