Divine Appointment

Scripture Reading
Acts 8:26-39, where an Ethiopian official, returning from Jerusalem and reading the Book of Isaiah, encounters Philip in a divine appointment that changes his destiny and, possibly, that of his people.

This Ethiopian's encounter with Philip lasted a matter of hours; perhaps only a matter of minutes. Yet that one encounter changed his destiny because in that encounter he met Jesus Christ. It is possible that that single divine appointment profoundly influenced the spiritual destiny of his people. Ethiopia has a Christian tradition that stretches back almost 2000 years, and many scholars believe it all began with this one encounter with Philip the Evangelist.

First impressions are lasting impressions . You only have one chance to make a good first impression, so prepare yourself.

No one in their right mind tries to “wing it” without preparation when going to a job interview, a first date, or when making presentations at work or in school. No, we try toprepare in advance. We do our best to put every detail and element in place for maximum impact.

Nobody likes to be embarrassed or humiliated, so we try to be at our best for significant events in our lives. If you were invited to meet the King or Queen of another nation, would you just walk in to meet royalty totally unprepared?

The Bible tells us Esther prepared herself intensively for an entire year for her one encounter with the king. She faced certain disaster otherwise. Even one slip-up or accidental error in protocol could have cost Esther her life. She would have missed her destiny and her people would have perished.

Esther had no idea about the divine appointment that lay ahead for her. Nevertheless, she diligently prepared herself; because she had heard the rumors. Never underestimate the potential of one encounter with the king.

The protocols of royalty seem totally foreign to those who live in democratic societies. Yet the protocols for meeting modern heads of state are similar in many ways. In the summer of 2005, a national champion women's lacrosse team was offered the honor to meet President Bush in the White House and have their picture taken with him. A minor controversy arose when four of college women wore “flip-flops” to the meeting. A number of observers suggested to the national media that flip-flops were inappropriate footwear when meeting formally with the President of the United States .

Regardless of your opinion about the “flip-flop flap,” we know that certain protocols do apply when meeting people in authority—particularly heads of state.

Why are preparation and protocol so important? You should n ever underestimate the potential of one encounter.

The Ethiopian official on his way home from Jerusalem had no idea that one encounterwould soon change his life. Even so, he was still prepared for it. First, he hadworshiped God in Jerusalem . Second, he had faithfully read and studied the Scriptures—in this case, he was trying to understand Isaiah's prophetic portrait of the Messiah who would come. God was attracted by his worship and honest hunger for truth, and He sent Philip to explain the gospel to him.

Life is full of strategic encounters and divine appointments . Too many of us miss our moment because we aren't looking for Him in every opportunity, or we fail to prepare.

Don't miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by being too lazy or too shortsighted to prepare? Even one encounter with the right person may change your life! On the other hand, you never know when you will become the “Philip” God sends to change the life of another in one divine encounter!

Never underestimate the potential of one encounter! Don't take the events and “coincidences” of life for granted. Prepare for your tomorrow by immersing yourself today in the fragrant perfume of worship, in prayer and careful attention to God's Word. Be prepared for every strategic encounter and divine appointment that God brings into your life. Be prepared!