Experiencing the Unexpected God

A very unique attribute of our God is His sudden appearances in the lives of men. This awesome uniqueness about Him has challenged many of His people throughout history. His many unannounced interventions in time and situations bring us a fresh understanding of His sovereignty and care. He is a God who would surprise us with His appearances in places and times when and where we have never expected them to take place. He is like that good and trusted friend that can come knocking at the door of our lives at the midnight hour. And we would gladly open for Him. That is why He is our best companion at all times. Yes He is the unexpected God whose sudden appearances can change or alter

The course of our lives. In Acts chapter 11 verses 1 to 18 we read the story of a gentile Roman officer that had a sudden appearance of an angel at 3:00 p.m. An unexpected intrusion of time and space to bring salvation to a man who was the first convert among all the rest of the goyim or gentiles. At the same time Peter being in Joppa in a trance of a vision on the roof top of the house of Simon the tent maker has an unexpected visitation from God to receive God’s instruction  for the first time to bring the good news of salvation to a man who was not a Jew. This unexpected divine visitation of God served as the greatest blessing of God to both Cornelius and Peter and it also brought fruit to the rest of this Roman centurion’s household.

The Bible says when the angel appeared to Cornelius he spoke to him in this way…

“Cornelius your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God”.

This meant more than one thing. First that the Lord watches over all men. He knows all things and has not forgotten anyone’s good or bad deeds. He is a just God. This also meant for no matter how long this man was doing what he was doing the Lord God had His own appointed time to appear to him for restitution and acknowledged reward. It also means that He is a God who would never forget our labor of love offered even when we do not yet know Him and the attributes of His eternal Name. This unexpected miracle of grace happened in the sovereignty of His own timing and was an indicator of His omnipotence. Yes He is the God of all grace and mercy and is aware of all situations in every circumstance of our lives. And that He is not restrained to time and space and can intervene in any and all circumstances. His timing is perfect for His sudden manifestations to men and this makes Him a very unique and a great God.

He appeared to a young man seating under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite His father, while he, “Gideon” threshed wheat in the wine press in order to hide from the Midianites. Do you see how unfathomable is His ways? Past finding out? He comes to the least expected people in their weakest times of trouble and not only that He even chooses and calls them for service when they are least humanly qualified for such mighty acts. When the Angel of the Lordcommissioned Gideon he asked in response to the Angels greetings saying. “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this things happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites”. Then the Bible says the Angel said “Go in this might of yours and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midianites.

Have I not sent you? Do you see how His unexpected appearances happen when men are at their weakest state in life? And that in lack of strength of faith, in fears, but these are the very strength that God uses to give Himself all the glory. It was the same way when the Lord sent Samuel to anoint the young lad the red haired shepherd boy David. Samuel being the agent of the Lord suddenly appeared in the house of Jessie and the Lord directed him to His chosen vessel. He said to Samuel you look at the outward appearance of men, but I look to the heart of men. Yes this one is my choice. A totally unexpected choice or place to find the next King of Israel. Even in choosing King Saul the Lord appeared to Him through Samuel when Saul was looking for his fathers lost animals. This move of God was again when Saul was completely unaware of God’s plan and purpose for his life. This happened when Saul was led to Prophet Samuel for totally different reason or purpose.

So it was with Abraham in numerous occasions, especially when the Lord visited Him along with the other two angels. Abraham suddenly received them unexpected and God gave Him the fulfillment of his long awaited promise. He was even informed of the sudden destruction of the cities of the Sodom and Gomorrah and the same way the Lord suddenly appeared to Zachariah in the time of his prayer in the Most Holy place. Mary had such a sudden visitation from the angel Gabriel for the annunciation of the birth of the Messiah. All of these great things God did in an unexpected way. All according to the time of life, which is in His foreknowledged divine sovereign authority? All of these are few numerous examples of His unexpected interventions in the lives of His own people. Even in Malachi chapter 2 the prophet says “you have wearied God with your complaints, since He will suddenly come to His temple, but who can endure His coming?

Even with His physical appearances while ministering on earth Jesus was surprising men in their time of desperate need. For example by his sudden and unexpected appearance to the lame man laying at the pool of Bethesda He once again proved to be the same God of the Old Testament. He appeared suddenly when there was a true need and at the perfect timing according to God’s own timetable. For God there is no bearer of any kind. He is perfectly sovereign over time and events. His tone of questioning to this lame person in regards to his willingness to be healed too had a lot to say about his sudden appearance there. The same way when after His resurrection He made many unexpected visitations to the people of His choice. From the two on the road to Emmaus, to the spectacular appearance of Paul of tarsus’s conversion at the road to Damascus.

He is full of unexpected surprises.

The same way when He suddenly appeared to Peter and His disciples at the shore of the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection. In His sudden appearance He commissioned Peter for His life and ministry and this was too in respond to His foreknowledged divine sovereignty in accordance with His perfect timing, since Peter was just rescued from his own greatest hour of trial in total weakness and despair. This was when he had taken others with him back into their former manner of life. Jesus suddenly appeared when Simon Peter had taken off His utter garment slumbering in the nakedness of being sifted by Satan.

You see this is exactly what I mean.  His unexpected appearances takes place when we least expect them to happen. This is why even the coming of the Holy Spirit was a sudden act of grace and not in an expected hour of their choosing. So will His second coming be. It will be as a thief in the night.

He will come back for His sheep at an hour no one expects. The Bible says “No one knows the day or the hour” It will come as an unexpected final salvation through redemption of our bodies in the rapture and also as the divine judgment on this world. Therefore we need to always be ready, since none of us know when this unexpected God would intervene in on our behalf.  There also remains a very sudden great quick work on this earth that the Bible talks about and I believe it is soon to happen, but again its timing is only in His hands. Let us never underestimate His sovereign choice for remaining an unexpected God.

Maybe it is to our advantage to remain without notice, since we might want to try to alter His plans according to our own limited understanding and that to our own hurt.

Therefore I would rather trust Him in His sovereignty than to try to run ahead of Him in my own diluted sinful mistrust.