Keeping The Appointment

Ian Revie

‘That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.’
(Romans 8:28, MSG)

How many of us look at the news around us, or even the visions and desires of our friends, or in our church or house groups and reflect on the above verse? How many times have we quoted, or had it quoted to us, in encouragement (either correctly or incorrectly applied) and wonder how, when, or why God is not doing what we want him to do, or when we want him to do it…?

God has an incredible plan for our lives, and I think we know that He doesn't work us like a puppet, or do our bidding. Faith is a partnership. God sets the stage, provides the gifts and orders the steps, but we must choose to show up, fan the flame, and do the first thing first.

When life feels chaotic, it is easy to become passive or lose hope. But the God who brought order to creation is actively working to bring purpose to our mess. So what do we need to continue to learn and practice:-

• Faith is a partnership with God.
  God is a gift-giver, but we must fan our gift into flame. He calls, but we must answer.
  “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8, MSG).
  God orders our footsteps, but we have to actually move our feet. We need to question if we are waiting for God to do something He has already empowered us to do?

• He makes order out of our chaos.
  When life feels like a jumbled mess, we can rest in the assurance that in the very beginning God deals with emptiness and darkness: “Earth was a soup of nothingness... God spoke: 'Light!' And light appeared.” (Genesis 1:1-4, MSG).
  God’s Spirit "broods" over our dark, messy situations just like He did over the watery “soup”. If He can speak physical light into total darkness and structure into the land and water, we need to have confidence He will order our current confusion. We need to wait in His presence to see the light appear and the order restored.

• He redefines our bad days.
  How we interpret our trials changes how we survive them. Romans 8:28 restores confidence in our worst moments: “Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”
  This is not a false positivity or a slap on the back, it is theological confidence that we must remember. Every downside has a potential upside when filtered through God's love. The worst day of our lives can lay the groundwork for the best day.

• He has promised us a hopeful future.
  The ultimate destination of our partnership with God is hope, security, and His presence: “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out... plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13, MSG).
  God knows what He is doing, even when we don't. The promise of a secure and contented future is bound to our pursuit of Him: “When you come looking for me, you'll find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13, MSG)
  How often do we spend time in His presence looking?

The challenge I always find is this: God is ready to work on my behalf and has set a series of divine appointments to develop me in His will.

In hindsight, sometimes I feel I let the divine appointments expire. But this just makes me more determined to share with you and ask, shall we be ready this week to say, “I'll go. Send me!” to whatever task or person God places in our path?