Why Here?

Several years ago God worked in an intricate and very distinct way to bring me to my current geographic location. There was no doubt whatsoever that God had directed my steps away from numerous other possibilities and guided them to this particular place. After such clear guidance, it was a little shocking and humanly incomprehensible when the teaching position lasted only one school year.

Why would God do that? I confess that I don't know the answer, but here is what I do know. God places people precisely where He wants them for the precise purpose that He wants to work in their lives. Somehow, through ordinary or dramatic means, God gets people to where He needs them to be in order to accomplish His will.

Consider Abraham's servant who went to seek a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24). The uncertainties of the journey notwithstanding, God led the servant to the right town and directly to the well where Rebekah was approaching. While the servant obeyed Abraham's orders, God put him in precisely the right place in order to provide the right bride for Isaac.

Jacob also needed a wife. As God's chosen heir, he needed a "good start" for the nation, both in family and in flocks. Not the first-born, traditionally he would not have inherited his father's resources. A sibling rivalry and a parent-led deception produced a family friction so intense and dangerous that Jacob had to flee for his life. God led him precisely to the house of Laban, where he acquired his wives, family, and wealth (Genesis 28).

Joseph was used by God to spare the lives of the entire nation of Israel, and the time spent in Egypt was purposed by God to allow the nation to multiply and flourish. To get Joseph to that location, God had to first put him in the right field where a man could answer his question (Genesis 37:15). God then led Joseph on an unusual journey from Potiphar's house to prison to the palace so that he could be where God needed him to be (Genesis 39-41).

Moses was placed in a basket that floated to just the right spot to be found by Pharaoh's daughter so that he could have the experience of growing up in the palace in preparation for the work that God had for him to do in delivering the nation of Israel (Exodus 2).

The spies showed up at the house of Rahab, the one person who feared God and was willing to help them as Israel anticipated their initial conquest at Jericho (Judges 2).

Gideon, at the prompting of God, ended up outside the very tent where a man was recalling his dream about Israel's conquest; the incident provided encouragement for Gideon in his difficult task (Judges 7:13).

Through following his father's orders, David, who would normally be tending sheep, arrived at the battlefield to hear Goliath's challenge (I Samuel 17). His subsequent victory delivered Israel's army and helped to prepare the way for David's kingship.

Elijah was led precisely to the house of a specific widow in a small town so that his life could be spared in the midst of famine (I Kings 17).

Elisha was at work plowing the exact field he needed to be in when Elijah came by to pass on the role of prophet (I Kings 19:19).

Four lepers in danger of starvation, whose own people could not even take care of them, inexplicably approached the enemy camp (II Kings 7). There they found provisions sufficient for themselves and the rest of the city.

Daniel and his friends were chosen as having potential in their captive land. In spite of their precarious protest of the preparation process, they rose to important positions of respect during the captivity (Daniel 1).

Nehemiah ended up in the palace as cupbearer to the foreign king, where he was instrumental in the return of captives to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1).

Although she was a foreigner, incredibly Esther became the queen, which placed her in the right position to protect her people from slaughter (Esther 2).

In the New Testament, a government tax brought Joseph and Mary to the town where Jesus was predicted to be born (Luke 2). Levi was sitting at the hated position of tax collector when Jesus passed by to call him (Luke 5). Zaccheus had the unusual idea of climbing a tree from which he met Jesus (Luke 19). Blind men and lepers were at the right place by the side of the road (Matthew 20, Luke 17, John 9), the sick man was at the pool of Bethesda (John 5), the widow bereaved of her son was in a procession passing by Jesus (Luke 7) - all in the right place to receive Jesus' help. Philip obeyed God and went to a road in the middle of the desert in order to share the gospel (Acts 8). Paul and Silas were in jail in Philippi as God worked through them to start a church in that place (Acts 16).

Some of these divine geographic placements seem amazing and incredible, while others seem horrific and confusing. Some of them involved extraordinary arrangement of circumstances and many were part of an intricate long-term plan which was not evident at the time. Humanly speaking, some of these placements required obedience, while others rested entirely outside the choice, control, or understanding of the person involved. Regardless of the seeming right and wrong, the confusion or senselessness, the routine-ness or unlikely-ness, God worked to put each person precisely where He wanted him. God's wise plan was then revealed, showing the necessity of each person being where he was.

So in what position do you find yourself? A job change, job loss, or relocation? The loss of a house through disaster or financial difficulty? Far from family, or living with them? A college based on the majors it offers or scholarships available? A sickbed, hospital, or nursing home? Single, married, or widowed? A new geographic location for whatever reason? A particular position at church, or a lack thereof? An unexpected ministry, or one you can't escape? In each of these and many more, God has you exactly where He wants you and where He needs you to be so that He can accomplish His purposes, which you may or may not understand. God knows what He is doing; if He wanted you somewhere else, He has proven Himself entirely capable of moving you.

"The steps of a good man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way." Psalm 37:24 (NASB)

"The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9 (NASB)

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (NASB)