As I sit in Trinity Baptist Church last night on the 2nd day of the Ellison-Jones Convocation that is hosted annually by Virginia Union University, listening to one of my favorite preachers in the world (Dr. Gina M. Stewart), I sat in awe of what God was doing in that moment. This woman did not know me (though we are friends on Facebook), had not spoken to me that day, and knew nothing of the million things that were going through my head as I walked into the church that night.... Yet, somehow she was able to take a text that I enjoy and speak to exactly where I was while making a scripture that I already hold dear that much more powerful to me. This is not the first time she has done this. Last year at Ellison and in June at the Hampton University Ministers' Conference, she did the same thing, speaking to EXACTLY where I was. As you might imagine, this is part of why she is one of my favorite preachers in the world.
But what her sermons (and other preachers who I like to listen to - of which there are admittedly few) make me realize more than anything else is that God has a way of providing exactly what you need when you need it. Dr. Stewart had no idea when I walked into the sanctuary that night that I had told my sister friend in the car on the way over that I needed a word from God. She was not sitting beside me when I wrote in my journal the previous morning about the dream I'd had and the concerns it placed on my heart. She did not see the tears that fell or feel the ache in my heart the night before... but God did. She just happened to be obedient to her call and deliver a message that God knew I would need at that precise time.
While I have been in church my entire life and heard MANY sermons, I am coming to truly appreciate the time that a good preacher will spend in prayer and preparation to bring forth something that has the power to change someone's life. But not only that - it reminds me just how much God loves me. Had any other sermon been preached that night, I would not have gotten what I needed. God knew enough to place Dr Stewart on the program, inspire me to go, enable my car to work so I could get to the school, guide my friend to take me to the church that evening, and let her preach that particular last night (as opposed to today when I had to work).... I'm beginning to understand more and more the verse that says, "all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
My challenge to you today is two-fold. First, trust your instincts and that "something told me" that leads you. Chances are God is trying to give/show you something that will bless your life. Whether you need a word from God to give you reason to go on or you are trying to find a job or a boo or whatever the case may be, you will not likely get a billboard-sized announcement. Look for God in the little things, asking for what you need, because God will most likely meet you. Second: give what you feel led to give. Just as you are led to people/places to receive, people are being directed to you. You have no idea how the word or hug or smile or Facebook status or tweet can affect someone else. (And to the preachers, this goes double for the sermons you preach.)
[SN: The title of the post comes from a line in Dr Stewart's sermonic prayer.]
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