Luke 10:31
“And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”
Every day there are divine appointments we miss because of our blindness to God’s guiding hand. The parable of the man who fell among thieves is a classic picture of two men who missed their divine appointment. After the man was robbed, beaten and left to die, the priest and Levite walked by his way but did nothing for this dying man because they wanted nothing to do with the situation. When the Samaritan came by his way, he stopped, bandaged the man and brought him to safety until his healing. Each of these men had a divine appointment that day, but only one fulfilled his appointment. I find four reasons from this story why people miss their divine appointments.
First, they have the wrong priorities. The priest and Levite somehow forgot that their priority was to help people. I’m afraid Christians can get so wrapped up in serving the LORD that they miss their divine appointments because their priorities are wrong. There are divine appointments you walk by everyday that you can miss because you are so focused on something else that you miss someone whom you can help. Don’t get your priorities mixed up in serving the LORD.
Second, they are concerned with personal safety. There is little doubt that these men may have crossed the street because they were afraid for their own personal safety. Oftentimes our divine appointments are missed because we don’t want to go to a certain side of town because it’s supposedly dangerous. Let me remind you that God will protect you in dangerous situations when you are meeting your divine appointment.
Third, a lack of compassion causes some to miss their divine appointments. The Samaritan was the only one who had compassion on this poor man. Let me encourage you not to lose your compassion. Compassion is oftentimes the sounding alarm of our diving appointments.
Fourth, a mindset of noninvolvement causes many to miss their divine appointments. The priest and Levite didn’t want to get involved, and they missed their divine appointment. Don’t become so self-centered that you miss divine appointments. Take your eyes off yourself and see those whom you could help.
Friend, every situation in life is a divine appointment. It is not by chance that you happen to be in a certain place and meet someone with their situation. God allowed you to be there because He felt you could help them. Always take every situation as a divine appointment from God to witness or help someone.
Moreover, keep your eyes on the main purpose of the ministry and that is people. The ministry is not about accolades, it is about people. The ministry is not about the size of your church, Sunday school class or bus route, it is about people. Don’t ever lose focus of the purpose of the ministry. People are the whole reason we are in the ministry.
Furthermore, every Christian is in the ministry. You may not be a staff member of a church or a full-time servant of God, but you are a Christian and Christians are in the ministry of the LORD. As you go throughout your day, you will find people whom God has placed in your pathway as a divine appointment. Don’t miss your divine appointment because you’ve lost your focus of the Christian life. Keep your focus on meeting the needs of people and you will find that God will give you a divine appointment every day.