That was me to my Meta AI a few minutes ago. I had no internet flying from Nigeria back to the US and I was like, “I should have sent them to you even without internet!”
Because GOD WAS SHOWING OFF MID-AIR.
Honestly I’m still blown away by this one: my sister called us immediately upon landing in Germany and asked me the time… which was PRECISELY her birthday. Tell me who could have orchestrated that other than God Himself? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. It was His sweet way of letting me know He was with me on that trip.
Whisper from Senior Partner: “Nik, I saw you land. I had your sister on standby. I don’t miss birthdays, and I don’t miss landings. I was with you in Nigeria, I was with you at 30,000 feet, and I was the first one to welcome you in Germany.”
Then, of all the old blogs for me to reshare yesterday, God had me include the one about Psalm 16:11. This verse has been FOLLOWING ME for weeks:
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11
Exhibit A: My Husband
A few days ago I went to find my husband to pray. Out of the whole entire Bible… he was listening to Psalm 16. We held hands and let the whole chapter be our prayer. I pranced around our bedroom that morning! That was a DIRECT message from God to me and my hubby.
Whisper from Senior Partner: “Yes, Nik, that was Me with you and your hubby the other day. I love showing up in your living room, in your bedroom, in your ‘ordinary’. I’m never late to the appointment.”
Exhibit B: Jesus Calling
This morning I asked Meta AI to pick a page from my Jesus Calling devotional. Out of 365 days, it landed on April 23. It reads like God Himself is speaking: “I WILL show you the path of Life; in My Presence IS fullness of joy; at My right hand there ARE pleasures forevermore.”
The day’s verse? Psalm 16:11, baby!!! NOBODY can tell me that lined up on its own.
Whisper from God: “You asked for a random page? I don’t do random. I do intentional. April 23 was for August 9th.”
Exhibit C: 30,000 Feet In The Air, No WiFi
Mid-air, debating what to read for my mandatory appointment with God, I opened my book published 6 years ago. This is what was on the page:
“A friend shared this verse on her blog, and I can’t stop thinking how this was probably written over 3,000 years ago, but sums up my relationship with God brilliantly: ‘Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment’ (Psalm 16:11 The Voice)
God is saying: “Nik, I told you this 3,000 years ago through David. I told you 6 years ago when your friend shared it on her blog. I told you months ago through your hubby and your devotional. I told you on your website this morning. And now on this flight from Germany: I AM STILL DIRECTING YOU ON THE PATH THAT LEADS TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE!”
Heehaw! The picture of me is from today, running to my God tree on the beautiful path God has guided me to. Don’t get it twisted, I STILL have my rough moments, but I said to God today, if these challenges are Your way of bringing me closer to You, let’s do this! I will trust You one day at a time.
And then on the way to the God tree, this came up with Meta — this is literally your “Appointments with God are MANDATORY” verse!
Jeremiah 29:12-13
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Ms. Nikki style breakdown:
The Context: God is speaking to the Israelites in exile in Babylon. Displaced, uncomfortable, far from home — kind of like landing in Frankfurt, or running in sunny Florida after a hard season! Everyone else was telling them “you’ll be home tomorrow!” But God said: No, bloom where I planted you. Build houses. Plant gardens. And SEEK ME there.
Verse 12: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”
You CALLED — and went to find your husband to pray. He LISTENED — and your husband was already in Psalm 16! God says “I WILL listen.” Not might. WILL.
Whisper from God: “Nik, I never put you on voicemail. When you call, I pick up on the first ring.”
Verse 13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
The Hebrew word for seek is “darash” — it means to tread, to frequent, to pursue until you find. Like you tracking down your running shoes and getting outside!
WHAT I’M TRYING TO TEACH YOU — HOW TO LIVE THIS
It’s not just about my God winks. It’s about YOURS.
God is not just directing MY path to a beautiful life — He’s directing YOURS too. Psalm 16:11 is not a Nik verse, it’s a YOU verse. But you only see the path when you walk the path. You only get the winks when you’re looking for the Winker.
Here’s how we live this — TRUSTING GOD ONE DAY AT A TIME:
1. Start Your Day With A Mandatory Appointment — Rocky Mode
Don’t give God your leftovers. Give Him your first. For me, that’s back to 5 AM Rocky mode. Running my 3.11 miles / 5k, listening to my morning prayer, talking with God at my God tree.
Your turn: What would Rocky mode look like for you? Pick ONE non-negotiable appointment with God tomorrow. Put it on your calendar like it’s a meeting with your CEO — because it is.
2. Collect Your God Winks — Don’t Just Count Your Worries
We are so quick to write down what went wrong. What if we wrote down where God showed up?
Your turn: Get a note in your phone — title it “God Winks.” For 7 days, write ONE wink a day. You will be SHOCKED how chatty God is when you start listening.
3. Live The Get Back Up Life — One Day At A Time
I told my daughter today: “You are in my head — trust God one day at a time.” Falling is not failing. Staying down is.
Your turn: What’s your one “get back up” today? One walk? One prayer? One apology? Do that. God is not asking for your perfect year — He’s asking for your present day.
5 VERSES FOR THIS SEASON
1. Psalm 16:11 – THE THEME VERSE
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Why: God is not just showing you A path, He’s directing you to a BEAUTIFUL life. The joy IS the path, in His presence.
2. Jeremiah 29:12-13 – THE HOW-TO VERSE
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Why: This is how you unlock the plans in 29:11. You call — He WILL listen. You seek — you WILL find Him.
3. Lamentations 3:22-23 – THE ONE DAY AT A TIME VERSE
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Why: You don’t get a week’s worth of mercy, you get fresh mercy TODAY. That’s why 5 AM works.
4. Micah 7:8 – THE QUEEN OF GET BACK UP VERSE
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
Why: Your “Fall a billion times, get up a billion and one with God by your side.” Falling is not your identity — rising is.
5. James 4:8 – THE GOD WINK VERSE
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Why: You moved — Germany, God tree, bedroom prayer — and He moved. You draw near, He shows off.
OUR MIGHTY CLOSE OUT PRAYER
Father, in the mighty name of EMMANUEL — GOD WITH US,
Thank You for being with us in Nigeria and in the US, on the ground and at 30,000 feet with no WiFi. Thank You that You never miss a landing, You never miss a birthday, You never miss an appointment.
Thank You for Jesus — for showing us that falling is not the end. Thank You for rising again so that we can rise again. Fall a billion times, get up a billion and one — because You got up first.
God, today we say YES again to the beautiful path. Direct our steps. We give You our 5 AM, our 5k, our God tree, our ordinary living rooms and bedrooms. Make our appointments with You MANDATORY.
Lord, for every woman reading this who feels displaced, far from home, in a Frankfurt moment, in a hard season — remind her You are right there. Let her feel You pick up on the first ring.
Give her eyes to see the God winks, faith to collect them, and courage to trust You ONE DAY AT A TIME. New mercies every morning. New strength for today’s get back up.
We declare Psalm 16:11 over our lives: YOU are making known to us the path of life. As we walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and we know true joy and contentment.
We seal this in the unstoppable, unshakable, ever-present name of EMMANUEL — GOD WITH US,
Amen and Amen!
TRUSTING GOD ONE DAY AT A TIME
WE ROLL WITH GOD!
ALL GLORY BELONGS TO GOD!