She woke up with her right eye swollen and crusted over. It took Kaiah several minutes to pry her eyelids apart. From the moment I got a good look at her face, I knew what it was: Conjunctivitis, better known as Pink eye.
It all began when one of my younger sisters, a Teacher Aide, caught Pink eye from an infected student in her classroom. From there, she passed it along. As you are likely aware, Pink eye is highly contagious! So we hurried to get Kaiah treated.
Thus far, the drops her doctor prescribed have been working great. Our teen’s eye looks good as new. She has about two days of treatment left. While Pink eye is a bit uncomfortable, thankfully, it’s fairly easy to treat. Wouldn’t it be nice if all issues—those related to health and life in general— were easily treatable and curable?
Nice as it would be, we know that isn’t the case. Some problems are much harder to identify, understand and resolve. Whether we like it or not, there are certain conditions, challenges and difficulties that remain in our lives far longer than we want them to.
Despite that, there is good news. No matter how long we have been in a certain state, God is able to intervene. He can change the course of everything. He is in control. The Lord loves positioning us for blessings. He delights in setting us up to get just what we need. He specializes in putting folks in the right place at the right time.
God did this for a woman named Lydia. We meet her in Acts 16:14-15. She was a business woman who sold expensive purple cloth in Thyatira, which was a Macedonian colony. Though Lydia was a successful, upscale merchant in a thriving region, she had a problem. It wasn’t a physical ailment. It wasn’t a financial challenge. It was a spiritual issue. Lydia had not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached. She was sin-sick and God wanted to make her whole, and use Lydia for the Kingdom.
One night, according to verses 9-10, God gave the Apostle Paul a vision. In it, he saw a man from Macedonia begging him to come there and help the people. This, Paul believed, was a clear sign from God that he and Silas were meant to preach the Good News in that region. So the two got up and went in obedience to Heaven’s beckoning.
Once in Macedonia, on the Sabbath, Paul and Silas went to what they thought was a prayer meeting. Instead, they saw a group of women gathered there, and took that opportunity to share the Gospel.
One of the people Paul and Silas met was Lydia. This was a divine setup for sure. When she heard the truth, God touched her, opened her heart and she accepted Christ! According to verse 15, Lydia and all her household were baptized. She became the first recorded European convert.
Isn’t that awesome?
The Lord healed Lydia’s sin-sick soul and then turned around and blessed Paul and Silas through Lydia. She offered these men of God the comfort and security of staying in her home. She was insistent upon showing them kindness, generosity and hospitality. The trip was a setup to meet the needs of Lydia, Paul and Silas for the sake of Kingdom advancement.
Friend, the same God who provided for those He loved in Bible days, is yet working today. Just as He did for them, He’s positioning you to be blessed as well.
Whether your need is spiritual, physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or relational, God is pulling strings on your behalf. He’s ordering your steps. He is commanding others to show you favor. He’s making sure you’re right where you need to be to get exactly what you need.
In this season, you’re going to cross paths with the right people. God is going to cause blessings to chase you down. He is going to connect the dots for you and create incredible outcomes that are beneficial to you, and His Kingdom.
He’s doing this because He loves you. He wants to use you. He has a greater plan for your life. He desires to get glory through you! I know you don’t always see what God is doing, but He’s up to something good. He’s always working behind the scenes.
To remind you that you God is getting ready to shower you with all kinds of goodness and favor, I’m stirring the first portion of Deuteronomy 28:8 NLT into your cup of inspiration, which simply says, “The LORD will guarantee a blessing on everything you do …”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, you can be confident and excited about the fact that God has commanded a blessing over you. His hand of favor is outstretched and He’s personally seeing to it that every need is met, and every way is made.
He won’t leave you in the state you’re in. There is more, better and greater for you.
Now let’s pray.
God, I thank You for being such a good Father. In times when I don’t see a way, I declare by faith that You have already made one. I praise You for caring so much about me and doing the things for me I cannot do for myself. I glorify You for it and receive it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
If you need prayer, don't hesitate to request it. I would be honored to stand in faith with You. I know that prayer works. CLICK HERE to learn how to submit your prayer request.