Do you realize that God was working in your life well before you Encountered Him? ( Jer 1;5 , Psalm 139;13 to16 and Jer 29: 11 to 13)

Think about it. God looked down from heaven and knew you were being born. He knew where you lived, He knew that you needed to be loved, to receive wisdom, to know that there was a preferred plan for your life and that someday you would come to realize who He is. He has put His Spirit in you. Amazing, when one stops and really thinks about it.

I was reading recently in Acts 26 about Paul, the Roman citizen, the extremely well educated Jew, and the same person that had orders to kill or imprison all the Christians he could find. Did God have his eye on him?Absolutely yes and God’s son Jesus himself, had a specific assignment for Paul. Paul was wanting to serve God but was going about it the wrong way. It was on the road to Damascus where Paul encountered Jesus and He said, Rise up, stand on your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you. Acts 26:16 Jesus knew what He wanted Paul to do. It is interesting that He let Paul see and experience a lot of tough things before He encountered him on the road of life. Jesus waited for this moment to gain his attention and reveal himself to him and shortly become his Lord. This was Paul’s defining moment in life. It was his first encounter with the almighty God.

For me, this story reminds me that God does not come to us to discover what we would like to accomplish for Him. He wants to have an encounter with you and I, to reveal to us His activity and desire for our life. I have always liked what Henry Blackaby, said in his book Experiencing God. “Find out what God is doing and seek to join Him in the journey.” When God encounters us as we read his word, the Bible, he is not looking for us to get a nice warm feeling for the day. He doesn’t just want us to have more biblical knowledge. God and his son Jesus has far more significant things to reveal to us than just that. His encounter with us should be to reveal to us, as he did to Paul, His activity in the world around us and for us to become involved. Note in the verse above He said, “I have a purpose for you Paul. Stand up, and this is what I want you to do.” Paul did it. He followed the instructions and it changed his life forever. In the process, it also changed millions of other lives as well, as we read Paul’s story today.

What about You? Have you had an encounter with God, in your life? Have you come to the place where you bow the knee, submitting your will to God and say Jesus, yes I am a sinner in need of a savior? I believe that you Jesus, died for me, and rose again, and I ask you to come into my being, to change me, forgiving my sin, and accept me into your forever family. For me, this was the most important decision I have ever made. If you have already come to this critical point of decision in your life, I encourage you to take the next step and ask God to reveal to you what He is doing in the world around you and get involved. Paul, on meeting Jesus face to face said,” Lord, what shall I do?” Jesus told him exactly what to do, and he started on a long amazing journey walking with the Lord. I don’t know about you, but I often marvel that God knows and cares about me as an individual in this huge and complicated world. I have had major issues to decide on, and wondered just what to do. I needed an Encounter with God. Often, after praying about it, and reading His word I knew right away, what to do. At other times I sought wise christian counsel and continued to talk to God about it and ask Him to show me clearly what to do and where He wanted me to go. It quickly became clear what God wanted me to do, in that situation.

As I look back, and look at my journal, I can say yes, there were specific times, I Encountered God. I sensed his presence and felt his peace, and loving arms around me. It has been exciting, for me, to discover His purpose for my life and to join God in his journey. Sometimes the journey is not easy. Did you take a look at Jeremiah 1 verses 4 to 10? God said to him. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Perhaps God is saying that to you also today. I encourage you to also read Paul’s story and see how it fits in with your life as you look for an Encounter with God.