Who said ‘Divine Connections’ can only take place among Christians?
“Who said ‘Divine connections’ could only take place among Christians”? That was the question God asked me yesterday morning as I was spending time with Him. He questioned me in relation to an event we attended over the weekend.
I always pray for divine alignments and divine connections everyday…especially when I am attending any sort of event, whether it is a party, church function or anything else. The interesting thing is, I have only been attending Christian events for awhile, so I would specifically pray this…expecting the divine connection if that was what God wanted. In my mind, it wasn’t a conscious thought…until God showed me how deliberate it really was.
This weekend, we were invited to a get together and I knew that there was a good chance that it would be just what it was…not a church party….so I didn’t even bother to pray that prayer. Well, God used that event to show me how much I misunderstood a ‘divine connection’.
The Divine connections have nothing to do with me. The dictionary says that ‘Divine’ means proceeding from God; of or pertaining to the Supreme Being. This is what I mean; I don’t make the connection ‘divine’…God does. Being a Christian doesn’t necessarily make the connection divine. It is acknowledging that the connection would have been impossible, if God hadn’t set it up for a greater purpose. God is the divine one, therefore, He can choose to set up a ‘divine connection’ with whomever and through whomever He wishes. Has God ever opened a door for you through something or someone that has nothing to do with church or being a Christian? Has someone ever come to your aid that wasn’t a Christian? God said to me that the reason that I didn’t pray for ‘divine connections’ for this event, was because I didn’t expect one since my perspective was colored by who I thought I would be surrounded by. How presumptuous of me!!
I am sure that Joseph didn’t think that he could possibly make any divine connections being sold into slavery and then thrown in jail. But being sold into slavery and then in jail set him up to meet the very people that would open the door to having access to the most powerful person (at that time) on earth and therefore, him advancing into a position that would result in him saving his family and his people.
Another example would be Abraham and Sarah when they were journeying to the land that God had promised them. In Genesis 20, Abraham tells Abimelek king of Gerar that Sarah is his sister to avoid being killed. God is faithful and shows Abimelek in a dream that Sarah is Abraham’s wife and that he must return her to Abraham or he is as good as dead. While, this might not have been an ideal situation in Abraham and Sarah’s minds, it was still used for Abraham’s wealth to be increased and to provide a safe place for them to live.
Genesis 20 (NIV)
Abraham and Abimelek
1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.” 4 Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.” 8 Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?” 11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” 14 Then Abimelek brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.” 16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels[a]of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
There are other stories in the bible depicting divine connections…just lookout for them the next time you read. So, instead of viewing ‘divine connections’ as something that can only take place between Christians or at a Christian function…be open-minded and expect that the ‘divine’ will come from God and the connection will be with whomever and through whatever to benefit you, and to advance the Kingdom of God.
