Clear leading is obedience exercise

What is a divine appointment?

A divine appointment happens when God orchestrates a meeting between us and a person or group of people that he wants to contact according to his will. Usually this is something that is unexpected, but they are moments in which we might become strangely aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit and are thus at peace in following the unusual turn of events.

One of the best biblical examples of this is the encounter that the evangelist Philip had with the Ethiopian member of the royal household. Acts 8:26-39 describes the very personal encounter that Philip had to bring this person to faith. One of the clear principles we see is that Philip was specifically directed to go the Gaza Road (v26). 

This was not just a hunch but a clear leading; a divine appointment is not a random set of events but one which is clearly led. Philip also heard the Spirit telling him to go near the chariot (v29), and the divine appointment also becomes an exercise in obedience and openness to the Spirit.

We must stay open to the Spirit in our daily routine, ready to be directed but not to force things arbitrarily into trying to make things happen. Divine appointments are begun by the will of the Spirit and, as we are open to the leading of the Lord, we are carried along with them. We do not have to manufacture them or overly force connections, but we must be prepared to speak up and share what God places upon our heart.

… story continues