A young couple stood in a prayer circle with their pastor and church elder. The husband recently completed school and was searching for work. With two toddlers, exhausted savings, and no response to about 100 job applications, the couple was beginning to feel anxious.
The pastor spoke a simple prayer, perhaps just seven words, to request for God to reveal His will. It was so plain the young man expected little more than to hear something innocuous like, “Wait for God to open the right door.”
Instead, after only two seconds, the pastor said, “Well, that was quick. The Lord showed me a mountain with a gate on it, and I recognize the mountain because I played on it as a boy. It was Pikes Peak.”
The next day, Compassion called the young man for an initial phone screen. Within about one month, the family was moving to Colorado Springs, near the foot of Pikes Peak.
Whether or not specific revelation is a part of others’ stories, we are all placed by God’s pre-appointment, His intentional choice. And why are we placed? Foremost, it is to seek Him. But as you seek God, do not overlook that we are placed in proximity to one another.
We do not work here — many in the same location, but all connected by technology and mission — to seek God in isolation. We need to seek God together. We need to help each other and allow others to help us.
Of course, God appointed more than our times and places. He also appointed our work. Said more clearly, He selected us for His work. He placed us in these positions out of His great love for children and His great love for us.
Let our seeking of Him spill over into united effort for His kingdom.
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. —Acts 17:26–27
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for today and our place in it. Let our hearts, souls, and minds find You. Do not let them stray. Make us alert to those we may serve. May we be humble to accept help from others. May we enable the success of others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Rice works as a Senior Analytics Specialist at the Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.