Have you heard of “divine appointments”? God arranges them all the time. Sometimes we aren’t paying attention, but when we are… HOLD ON, NELLY!
I received an invitation to speak at a signs and wonders conference in the 90s. Because of my busy schedule, I had to rearrange a bunch of things to make it to the conference.
During the conference, a ministry friend asked me to ride with him to the airport to pick up a special guest coming from Israel. However, I felt exhausted from ministering and wanted to stay in the hotel room. I had no idea what this was all about, but I knew God was leading it. There was an excitement in my spirit, but I couldn’t figure out why I was so excited.
This Is Why
After sitting in the waiting area for awhile, I looked up. Coming down the ramp was a group of six people all dressed in robes. I thought, “What kind of deal is this? Who are these people?” I recognized the outfit of the middle person as that of a Samaritan priest, and I thought, “This is really out of place!”
As they got closer, the priest greeted my friend, whom he knew. He then turned to me and did kind of a half bow and reached out his hand to shake mine. When our hands clasped, I felt the power of God run through me like I hadn’t felt in a long time. The Samaritan priest started to shake. My first thought was, “Don’t go all Pentecostal in front of all these people here. This man isn’t even born again.”
His interpreter told me later it was at this point the priest told him, “This man is the reason I was sent to this country. He is why Yahweh sent me.”
We went back to the hotel where the Samaritan priest was to meet the one hosting the conference. But, instead, the priest sent a message saying the priorities had changed. I didn’t know what he was talking about.
Here We Go!
It was about an hour before sundown when the priest said to me, “Today, you’re going to share Shabbat with me. You’re going to share Sabbath with me.” Now, this had never been done before. I remember his words as clearly as anything. He said, “I’ve never celebrated Sabbath with a Gentile.” What?! How special is this?! I almost didn’t even come to this meeting! Look at what I would’ve missed, and you haven’t even read the best part yet!
As we spent the evening talking and sharing, he asked me about Messiah. He asked me about Yeshua. Even though I knew he didn’t know what this was, I asked him, “Would you pray the sinner’s prayer?” The translator looked at me like, “How dare you call him a sinner!” If you don’t have Yeshua…
Before the Samaritan priest left, he became born again and was baptized in water in a bathtub in the hotel room! What an incredible honor to be a part of that!
And, to think, I almost missed this life-changing experience because I was tired.
Be Ready for Divine Appointments!
Let me encourage you to always be aware of the divine appointments God has for you. You never know when He will orchestrate a situation that will lead to someone’s salvation or a life-changing encounter with Him. Sometimes we may be tired or too busy to recognize these opportunities, but if we stay tuned in to His leading, we can experience the miraculous. Just like my encounter with the Samaritan priest, we can be a part of something truly special if we pay attention and respond to His call. So, HOLD ON, NELLY! and be ready for the unexpected.
If you love stories about miracles, this blog post is a good one!