NOTHING CATCHES GOD BY SURPRISE!

I told you guys how I started calling my sons in Nigeria to have appointments with God with them, and yesterday, Joshie called me to have one with him, and he read this from our Jesus Calling Devotional for Kids:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. – Psalm 23:4

“I (God) go before you as well as with you into this day. Nothing surprises Me. I know exactly what will happen—both the good and the bad. Trust in Me and don’t be afraid.”

I started screaming! Joshie, that’s the same verse that showed up under my God tree today! I then told him that nothing catches God by surprise because of the way He showed up for me the day before in this HUGE wholesale club. Of all the things to buy for my dinner, I purchased a Rotisserie chicken and a bag of Ceasar Salad mix. The place was filled with people, but at the very line where I decided to enter to pay, I looked up, and directly ahead from where I was standing was a menu item at the snack bar with the words and pictures of precisely Rotisserie chicken and Caesar salad! THAT WAS NO COINCIDENCE!!! God Himself was saying, ‘Nik, I know you so well! I know what you would buy and where you would be standing to pay for them!’ I just started smiling with Him, blown away by the love and attention He shows me! NOTHING INDEED CATCHES GOD BY SURPRISE!

Fast forward to today. I’m under my God tree and decided to read the Jesus Calling adult version. I took the scroll button at the bottom, asking God to pick what He wanted me to read. I read this verse:

“… to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:19

Then it said this:

“Set your heart on living steadfastly in my Presence, as a tree rooted in Me.”

I looked at my God tree and imagined the roots growing that keep the tree steady despite all the storms that come through Florida, and I thought how I must get my roots down deep with God, that nothing can shake me.

Fast forward to this afternoon, I’m listening to Ceri’s message that he had recorded earlier, and he incredibly spoke about these verses:

“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong (Wink! Wink!). And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – Ephesians 3:17-19

For Ceri to quote the exact verse that showed up under my God tree and the whole part with “YOUR ROOTS WILL GROW DOWN IN GOD’S LOVE AND KEEP YOU STRONG” was again God Himself revealing a glimmer of His invisible Presence and letting me know just how long, high, and deep His love is for me! NO ONE CAN TELL ME THIS WAS JUST A RANDOM COINCIDENCE!!! God was letting me know that He saw me staring at that tree this morning, imagining my roots growing into Him.

Ceri’s message was about how he prays that we all experience God’s deep love for ourselves. I do, too. Amen! Make sure you wake up every day to some God routine! PUT GOD FIRST!!! Even if you start with just one minute. Read or listen to something spiritual that connects you with God! Peace!