“God’s Propensity to Detail”

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.  Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. 

(added underline)  Exodus 25:8-9

If you have ever questioned God’s propensity, his focus on detail, you need to read Exodus 25 and 26.  In these two chapters God tells Moses and the Israelites ,exactly to the inch, how and what they are to do in building HIM a Sanctuary/Tabernacle.  He details the exact size, the exact materials, the exact colors, the exact wood, even the exact construction methods.  You read these chapters and think, WOW, God has a plan and wants it to be exact.

Detail is not only in these chapters, though some of the most detailed instructions in all the Bible, God is very detailed in most of His instructions.  Beginning with Adam and Eve, He gave explicit instructions on what they were and were not to do in the Garden of Eden.  To the Israelites explicit instructions were given on sacrifices that were to be offered to Him.  To the prophets He gave explicit orders on what and when to talk to His people.  God is even in the details.  His plan is perfect and I believe He often is seen making divine appointments.  What do I mean by that?  I believe God puts people in our path, has situations come our way at the right time and in the right way, that reveal to us (if we are looking), “I’m here, I’m working, it’s my plan!!!”

Let me give you an example of this happening on Monday.  As many of you know, HOPE Church lost one of its members this past Saturday night.  Terry came to Hope on August 21st of last year.  He was a practicing Hindu and surrendered his life to Christ.  I’m not going to go into any more details on that now.  That can be for a later date.  I visited his family this past Monday night and Terry’s sister had indicated over the phone that though they were a Hindu family, they wanted to celebrate Terry’s life as a Christian by having the HOPE family and me, as his pastor, lead a Christian service of celebration for him.  I went over to share our condolences and to pray with the family along with talking about their desires for this service.  One of Terry’s sisters said, “You won’t believe what happened today.”  Here is her story.

“My sister and I were running errands this afternoon and we had looked up a few funeral homes to visit to see which would work for us for Terry’s service.  We had narrowed it down to one we felt would be big enough and work for us.  As we were on the way to that appointment, we were on Millbrook Road and were passing another funeral home.”  She said, “I yelled to my sister, “Pull in here!  I saw that one on the internet.  Let’s check it out first.”  

Her sister had to cut across the lanes of traffic to get into the parking lot and said,  “I was so thankful that no one was in those lanes or we would have wrecked.”  The two sisters walked into the funeral home and a gentleman walking down the hallway greeted them.  One of them said, “We need to see about making arrangements for our brother’s funeral.”  He made a couple of inquiries as to their needs, and then asked their brother’s name.  They gave his proper Hindu name and the man’s response was, “Your brother is Terry.”  To that they said they broke down and cried, for they realized, “Here is someone who knew our brother.”  Here is the back story to this divine appointment as the sisters called it.

Elder Bill Joyner of HOPE Church is a Funeral Director.  I had texted him at lunch and asked if he could find out which funeral home Terry’s family was using.  He texted back and said that he could not find where they had chosen one yet.  He said he was leaving to go down to St Mary’s street from his location and he would check again later.  About an hour later I received a text from Bill saying, “Divine appointment!  I just met with Terry’s family.”  You see Bill, who knew Terry, worshiped with Terry, had a relationship with Terry, was the man who greeted Terry’s sisters.  The sisters told me the minute that Bill said Terry’s name they knew it was a divine appointment and had been orchestrated by God.  God’s propensity to details shines again.  I love how God works.

As I stated earlier, throughout the Bible, God gives us details.  One place in the New Testament, though there a many, Jesus gives detailed instructions for His disciples and ultimately for all who would believe.  In Matthew 26:26 Jesus says, “Take eat, this is My body.”  In Matthew 26:27-28 He says, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”  In Luke 22:19b “Do this in remembrance of Me.”  Details!!!  Remember!!!

Are you seeing God in the details?  He is there.  As you read His Word and grow in knowledge of Him, as you Worship Him, as you serve Him, you will begin to see Him more clearly and yes, even in the details of your life.  He is the ever present, ever with us Father and His Holy Spirit is present in us.  Divine appointments happen!  Watch for them and then act upon them and see what God will do!  You will be amazed.

Blessings my friends, 

Pastor Marty 

Worship, Grow & Serve