Faith Stories: There Are No Coincidences
Read Mark 11: 22-24
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
– Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
I wanted to enhance my service to God and was considering two possible volunteer opportunities. Both services seemed good but even after several days spent pondering over the choice, I was unable to come to a decision. Finally one night, I turned to prayer to seek God’s guidance.
The next morning I opened my daily devotional and found in that day’s reflection excellent guidelines for making a choice of ways to serve Christ. The author asked the reader to consider two questions: Would the service feature me or would I be a quiet part of a larger effort? Would the service involve surrendering my will to God’s or would it be something that I wanted to do? As I read the author’s words, a clear picture of the best choice came to me. The guidelines seemed to have been written specifically for my situation! I was amazed and elated. What a coincidence that my daily devotional should address exactly what I had prayed about!
Then my eyes moved to the top of the page and I noticed the date of the devotion.
It was dated to be read more than a month later! How had I turned to that particular page instead of the one for that day? What an incredible and simple way for God to answer my prayer and show me how to make my decision. What an awesome God we serve!
Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for your guiding hand. May we always be able to
hear your voice and follow where you lead. Amen.
Betty Schroeder