Paul was determined to go to two different places and God interrupted his plans and had him go to a different location, to a riverside in Philippi as there HE would save LYDIA and a Suicidal Jailor and his family, and also free a demonized fortune teller… and the church of Philippi- was formed! And approximately ten years later we read about it, what is known as – the Book of Philippians! God’s Interruptions of your plans may be for someone else’s Eternal Benefit… Look out for His interruptions, instead of complaining when your plans don’t come about, instead, look our for opportunities to Proclaim Christ and aid others eternally!
Can you think of a time you saw God interrupt your plans and you were able to aid someone, or perhaps someone else’s plans were interrupted by God and you were the recipient? God cares about souls and interrupts, redirects lives, through circumstances, whether through changing your location for living, working, a delay for your flight in an airport, He uses circumstances and people to His end, and part of that end is so that others may benefit! The amazing thing? He wants to use me and…for the eternal benefit of pothers to His glory!
A CAR BREAKING DOWN ;
A friend was driving once and had to pull over as he had car problems, he couldn’t fix it. He said his immediate response upon breaking down was to Praise the LORD that perhaps He would get to share with someone who may stop to help him. But though he stood on the side of the road, no one slowed down to stop to help, so he called a tow truck. An older gentleman arrived in one. They got to talking and the tow truck driver and him got to talk in the journey back to the garage where they would fix the car. My friend began to share with him about sin, the LORD Jesus and His provision. When they arrived at this country Garage in the middle of nowhere, the older man asked my friend if he would share with his workers what he had told him in the truck, which he agreed. The older man called all his workers, mechanics together, and they stood there listening as and my friend shared and he said some of the men had tears rolling down their cheeks through their oil stained faces, as he shared the Gospel of our LORD Jesus! My friend saw his car breaking down as an Opportunity that God would perhaps have someone whom he could share the Gospel with. And so he rejoiced with delight at the thought of this interruption to his trip. You see his “mind was set on things above”-{Col 3;1-2}… and as Paul said “brothers and sisters I want you to know MY CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE WORKED OUT TO FURTHER THE GOSPEL.”-{Philippians 1:12}.
AN AIRPORT INTERRUPTION;
God’s interruptions may not be as spectacular as parting the Red Sea, but they may come in your daily life, the delay of a flight and sitting next to someone at an airport… I was travelling to a hospital with my wife and I was very weak and had trouble walking so I needed a wheelchair to assist me. My wife “parked”me near some seats as she went off to get us some breakfast before our connecting flight. A man sat next to me and we started to talk and I got to share with him about te LORD and told him of a certain verse. With that he pulls out his phone and looks up the verse. My wife comes back and he says to her, “of all the days … I get to sit next to him,,,” She wasn’t sure what he would say next but he shared how he should have been on a flight a day earlier but had to change it and what I had shared had encouraged him. he turned out to be a follower of Christ! And as Paul said regarding his circumstances that had worked out to further the gospel, this he did by evangelizing…{v13}… and through ENCOURAGING the believers to “speak the Word of God boldly without fear” and this they did because he was there with them in prison! -{v14} Often what we see as irritations, if we would but look and see who is in pour circumstances and perhaps God’s interruptions are but Opportunities either to Evangelize or Encourage and further the Gospel in the circumstances we find ourselves in!
God Interrupts our plans at times to afford us Opportunities to Benefit someone else, for eternity!