A Serendipity—God Reaching Out To You
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power
at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
A Serendipity—God Reaching Out To You[
Any serendipity
is God reaching out to you
because He loves you more
than you have ever guessed.
You get so busy every day
as you rush along your way,
you hurry right on past His
parables of love.
You must listen carefully,
open wide your eyes and see
surprises for your delight
each one a gift of love.
He opens wide His loving arms
for those who open their own
and welcome His forgiving
embrace, His own true love.
************
Well, some of you may be asking, “What in the world is a serendipity?” That’s a good question. And that question has a fascinating answer. An eighteenth century British writer, Horace Walpole, coined the word, inspired by a Persian fairy tale, “The Three Princes of Serendip.” He explained serendipity as an accidental but delightful discovery. For instance, I was washing dishes one day, looking out our kitchen window, and alerted my wife, “Look, there’s a butterfly enjoying our flowers.” And even as I paused, while we gazed at the lovely sight, a hummingbird joined the butterfly. Now, seeing the butterfly was a surprise, but seeing the hummingbird right there with her, enjoying ours flowers also, quickened our hearts with joy. That’s a serendipity.
Sir Alexander Fleming
serendipitously discovered
penicillin upon returning
to his lab after a summer vacation.
You might have heard how Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928 was shocked to find mold interfering with the growth of bacteria in one of his Petri dishes. That mold received the name penicillin and has saved the lives of millions worldwide since then. By God’s Grace, that was a serendipity. In fact, I believe true serendipities are acts of grace as God tweaks our noses, so-to-speak, in the midst of busy days to get our attention and remind us of His great Love. Our beautiful pair of visitors, a butterfly and a humming bird dancing among our flowers as we washed our dishes one day, certainly spoke, even sang to our hearts of God’s beauty in nature and His Love for us. This “Holy Spirit Surprise” certainly called our hearts toward worship. But that raises the question; can anything God does as the Father, Son or Spirit, truly be a surprise? The answer is: Yes! God is so great that He constantly stretches our minds, hearts and souls to comprehend more and more of His glory. May our eyes always be wide-open and eager for the next serendipity He brings our way.
Romans 11:33-36
Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Imagine the thrill of seeing two whales jumping out of the ocean together as if they were synchronized swimmers. Imagine the creative power of God who made whales and every creature unique in nature so that all who see them must marvel at His glory. Imagine also the wonderful variety of saints who serve and worship together in any local body of Christ’s church. Each saint is being sanctified to play God’s assigned role in completing the perfect body of His Bride to see His Kingdom one day established in the New Heaven and New Earth. We should, then, be always looking expectantly upon our fellow saints-in-the-making to see the serendipity for the world they have been recreated to become.
Never Ignore A Serendipity
Never get in such a hurry,
never grow so preoccupied,
never let worries overwhelm you,
never get so self-absorbed,
never let this old world distract you,
never let your woes blind you,
never take a pass on God’s glory.
. . . and the very best serendipities of all are found in God’s Word, of course. If you have been reading your Bible for years, you know it happens . . . you find yourself reading a familiar passage once again, and there it is—God opens up a meaning, an insight, a word of encouragement you have never noticed before . . . a serendipity delivered straight from God’s heart to yours. He is so glorious, every word of Scripture opens up layer after layer of meaning. He is so loving, His Spirit directs you to such meaning, such insights, and such words of encouragement as you need for that particular day and beyond. Yes, serendipities in the midst of your everyday life, are blessed reminders of how true His truth is, and how powerful His strength is, and how beautiful His love is. Keep your senses ready, keep your soul seeking, and get ready to praise the Lord!
Next week we will look into particular serendipity scriptures which delight and enrich those who seek out God’s Truth and His Riches within His Word. In the meantime, keep your ears tuned, your eyes wide-open just like a toddler in God’s Household faithfully trusting in our Heavenly Father to guide you as you discover serendipities even today. Amen!
