The guest pastor read his chosen Scripture. The words sounded eerily familiar. It was like I’d read it an hour previously. And then it hit me — they were included in that day’s readings in my daily Bible reading plan.

I know for certain that this preacher didn’t choose this passage just to mess with my head. He had no way of knowing my reading plan or where I was with it.

What are the odds? Consider that my Bible plan includes the entire Bible, not just the Gospels or well-worn passages. There are 31,103 verses in the Old and New Testaments. There are 365 days in a year. A mathematician can calculate the odds. I’m sure that they are slim.

Then, I considered the fact that I started using this particular Bible reading plan on February 19, 2016, not January 1, like many other folks. I’ve completed it five times, and I’m on my sixth go-round. God knew that my preacher friend would choose that exact passage for that message on that day. God knew that his congregation would invite him into their sanctuary on that particular Sunday. God led me to that reading plan and ordained that I would start it that very day.

Scoffers and skeptics may brush this off as mere coincidence. But I know better.

This happens quite often for me — a devotional, an article, a commentary, or even a conversation will include a passage that appeared in that day’s Bible reading plan.

Far from scary — for me it’s just another reminder that we worship a God Whose hands are responsible for the vastness of outer space but Whose hands are involved in tiny logistical details.

If this kind of thing just happened with me, it would be awe-inspiring. But I am not the only one. There are simply no words for this.

The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Lord says, “At just the right time, I will respond to you.” (Isaiah 49:8a NLT)

“Just in time” is a wonderful tool for businesses that seek to operate at a high level of efficiency. Now take that and apply it to the vast universe and every single living soul.

Awesome indeed!

I started my Bible reading plan by obeying a nudge from the Lord. I have seen the fruit, not only in my deeper understanding and knowledge of Scripture but also because it provides another opportunity for our awesome God to display His vast, all-knowing power.

God works in ways that we cannot imagine, preparing a foundation, piece by piece. Because of the sovereignty and providence of God, whenever we do something, however simple, we never know where the Lord will take it, or what effects our action will have.

When God nudges, obey!

Thought to ponder: Always say “yes” to every invitation from Jesus to be obedient to His call.

Prayer: Father, Your power is immense; Your ways are beyond our ability to comprehend. You are the God of infinite space, and You are the God of microscopic detail. Help us to be still and allow Your mighty, all-knowing hands to work within us today. Amen.

Andy Cornell
Dresden, Ontario, Canada

Republished with permission from PresbyCan