There is nothing more annoying than being interrupted in the middle of a conversation. Just the other day, I was sharing something very important with a friend, when someone else came and started talking about something trivial and unnecessary.
Interruptions are a daily part of our lives. We get interrupted at home, at school, at work and even at church. Interruptions take many forms: A visit during dinner time with your family; a phone call when you are praying; a child screaming when you are trying to sleep and cell phones ringing during a church service.
There are other major interruptions in life caused by illnesses, losing jobs, weather events and deaths in the family. When a loved one is in the hospital, our “regular” life is interrupted and we must take time off from work to be with them.
God uses all of these “interruptions” to work his plan and purpose in our lives. What we call interruptions, God calls interventions. He intervenes and acts in us, to display his glory, to fulfill his plan and to achieve his purpose in us and through us.
Most of us get annoyed with these interruptions or “interventions” from God. We prefer to be left alone to enjoy the fruit of our labors. We just want to live a happy life; a life in which no one gets sick or dies or needs anything from us. We want peace, happiness, good health, love and all the other blessings from God. We want heaven on earth.
The problem with this line of thinking is that it is unrealistic and dangerous. If God would never interrupt (intervene) our lives, we would all be in a really bad place. If God does not intervene and deals with our sin problem, we would be lost, broken, unhappy, sick and on our way to eternal damnation.
God is concerned about you and me and He has complete freedom to intervene (interrupt) at any moment He sees fit in order to correct, discipline, bless and save his children. He sent the judges, the prophets and finally His Son to this earth to invade this planet with the message of the Gospel.
A classical example of divine intervention is found in the life of Saul of Tarsus. He was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians there and Jesus interrupted his mission.
“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…’” (Acts 9:1-5).
