ATTENTION: THIS IS A TEST
Has your schedule been interrupted? In the wake of a worldwide epidemic, it seems as if someone just pushed the pause button on the big screen of life. Well, I’ve got good news for you. God wants to show up and show off His mighty hand if you’ll let him do a good work in you this season. So, lean in because I believe this word is for all of us.
I remember times in my life when the Lord supernaturally interrupted or disrupted my schedule in order that I would pause, reflect, and refocus my attention on Him. He does this to draw me closer to Himself, to create a memorial for my remembrance, and to increase my learning capacity for what He is teaching me so that I will share it with others. We see these same kinds of interruptions in the books of Psalms and Habakkuk every time we read the word Selah, which is a Hebrew word that means ‘to pause’ or ‘to reflect.’
Every major character we read about in the Bible experienced some version of a Selah season, some longer than others, and the same is true in our lives. God is not punishing us; He is preparing us for greater things. How we respond determines our level of promotion. So, rejoice in the Selah seasons because God is getting ready to place His hallmark on you. It is important to note that God does not tempt us, but He does test us so that we will be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4; 12-13).
Deep Seat Diving: A Drowning Miracle
As a freshman in college, I remember arriving at school one day for an exam. The most coveted parking space among students at the time was inside a loading dock behind the main building, whereas most of the available parking was on the other side of a major highway, requiring students to risk their lives in a Hunger Games style heat of Frogger before class each day. Usually, the loading dock would be full, but on that particular day, I had prime parking, or so I thought.
I enjoyed arriving a few minutes early so I could read a chapter of Psalms or Proverbs from my favorite 10-year-old sunbaked Bible, which I kept gently wedged between my dash and windshield. I learned from an early age that if I want extraordinary favor, I must prioritize the Word by reading it out loud, even if I am the only one listening. Why? Because faith comes through hearing (Romans 10:17) and without faith it is impossible to please God, but He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
As I got out of the car, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful weather. It was sunny and cool without a cloud in sky. I was feelin’ good and ready to ace this test. Then, halfway through the exam, lightning struck with a thunderclap so loud that it shook the floor and momentarily cut power to the entire school. The room I was in had no windows, so we were left in complete darkness. Although I sometimes enjoy those emotionally heightened and unexpected moments of darkened silence that cause me to pause and reflect, that is not what this story is about. The clock was still ticking, and I did not want to have to return to school for a re-test. In the hallway, I could hear girls screaming and boys laughing and chanting “school is closed” as if they had saved everyone from exams. I breathed a sigh of relief as the lights began to flicker back on. My classmates and I laughed as we heard teachers in other classrooms angrily escorting students outside for cheating in the dark. Then, the rain began to pummel the sides of the building in sheets, like the waves of a tsunami. I remember thinking how strange it was to hear so much rain so quickly, when just moments earlier, I couldn’t see a cloud in the sky.
I finished my exam early, but as usual, I stayed until the class period was over to review my answers. Five minutes before the period ended, the rain stopped. Making my way outside, I could see the sun shining once again, but everything was soaked. As I approached the loading dock, I thought that I had somehow entered the Twilight Zone because I didn’t see my car. If fact, I didn’t even see the loading dock. I remember nervously laughing to myself in dismissal of the idea that over-studying had made me lose my mind. I turned around and walked back inside the school to splash some water on my face and regain my composure. Once again, I approached the loading dock. This time, it started making more sense. We had just experienced a flash flood and my car as well as the entire loading dock were underwater. I emptied my pockets, dropped my book bag, and dove into the deep. I’m glad I rolled my windows up because the door seals had kept the air locked inside. However, I could see the water coming through the vents had already risen to seat level, so I didn’t have much time if I was going to save any valuables.
As I pried open the door, water began rushing into to car, pulling me in with it. The only thing that wasn’t already floating or sinking was the Bible wedged safely in the dash. So, I quickly grabbed it and pushed my way back out. Miraculously, it was the only item in the car that remained completely dry. My initial shock turned to awe and wonder as I considered what God had done. I had a feeling my test wasn’t over, and I was determined to pass this one too. I remember saying to myself, “I’m not going to go through this for nothing. I’m going to have a good attitude.”
So, there I was, standing in front of my school, dripping from head to toe and flipping through the pages of my perfectly dry Bible. I felt totally exposed to the world with nowhere to hide and nothing to show for, except the Word of God and His peace that transcends all understanding.
As I waited on a tow truck, it seemed like hundreds of people, including students, faculty, administrators, and security guards stopped by to ask me what happened. The situation made it easy for me to share the story and show them my Bible. They all marveled about what had happened, but mostly about my positive attitude. I remember hearing many people say, “If I were you, I would be cussing and demanding that the school buy me a new car.” But that just made me remember one of my favorite Bible verses:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). I could feel His presence all around me and I knew that this was all for a purpose. So, I just made myself available. It didn’t take long for me to realize how those few hours of pausing, reflecting, and sharing my story would encourage so many people.
Sometimes, Jesus calls us, like Peter, to take a leap of faith out into the deep. And sometimes, the only way to get there is by jumping from the high dive, headfirst into a baptismal pool of destiny where the ripples echo throughout eternity.
Speaking of Peter, I love how the Lord revealed to him that “God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34),” which means that He loves us all the same and there is nothing we can do to earn His love and affection. However, He does give us opportunities to earn his trust when we put our faith and hope in Him alone.
So, how does the story end? Although my car was totaled, the school would not accept responsibility for the loss, and I only had minimal insurance coverage, I took the advice of a friend and towed my car to an auction, where it sparked a bidding war with over 30 participants. I sold it for more than I originally paid. I still don’t understand that one, but that’s the kind of God we serve. Days later, I was gifted a new car with fewer miles and a better sound system than I had before. Praise God!
I don’t say these things to boast, but to prove God and His goodness. Jesus is real and He will reward you if you trust and obey him and have a good attitude in the Selah seasons.
This sunbaked Bible and I have been through a lot together. We have both withstood the test of time under tension through floods, hurricanes, fires, famine and feast. Although I have owned several Bibles since, I still use this old ‘tried and true’ as a staple in my diet.
The Sheep and the Goats
On another similar occasion, I was chaperoning as a youth leader at a massive Christian music festival in Texas. We were joined by other youth groups from across the nation to camp in an open field for a three-day event. By the time we arrived, the scene reminded me of what 1969 Woodstock might have looked like on the first day. Brightly colored tents were pitched as far as the eye could see. We were told not to wander off too far from our site because there were already reports of students who had ventured out to make new friends and couldn’t find their way back for several hours. We even had a report of one girl who was separated from her group all three days because she got lost in the crowd. She was pretty shaken up after being separated from her personal belongings and friends and then having to ask to share a tent with strangers.
Although not the major theme of my message, it is an important lesson about the dangerous consequences of wandering too far from the pasture. Jesus tells us that He will leave the ninety-nine to go after the one (Matthew 18:12), but a lot of scary things can happen during a LOST season.
As I walked a tight perimeter around our campsite, I noticed that most of my fellow youth leaders had two things in common: We all brought Bibles and musical instruments. The concert event wouldn’t begin until the next morning, but in the meantime, music and laughter could be heard for miles. It sounded like heaven.
That is until night fell. Because we were in an open field, it became very dark very quickly. The students far outnumbered the leaders and with little to no accountability, the kids started getting into trouble. Becoming aware of the situation, our team of leaders gathered for a meeting. As we began to throw around ideas about how to keep our group together and out of trouble, the most reserved girl on our leadership team quietly said, “Why don’t we pray that God removes the distractions?” Isn’t it amazing how the Holy Spirit whispers? We all felt the Lord was speaking to us at that moment, so we began to pray in agreement. The prayer went something like this: “Lord Jesus, your Word says that if two or more are gathered in your name and agree about anything they ask, it will be done for them by our Father in heaven (Matt. 18:18-19). So, with faith and expectation, we ask you to remove all of the distractions so that we can focus entirely on you.”
We ended that prayer session feeling empowered by His Spirit but trembling with holy fear as we came to the realization that we had just disrupted something in the heavenly realms. It felt like every eye was on us and some of the groups surrounding us knew what we had just done and were not happy about it, so we each quietly returned to our tents.
Although every weather channel advisor predicted clear sunny skies for the foreseeable future, we underwent a localized flood warning that night. It rained so hard in the pitch-black darkness that we started asking God not to forget about us. Buckets poured out of the sky for 6 hours. We know this because no one got any sleep. The next morning, as we emerged from our tents to assess the damage, we looked out over the sea of people to discover that many of the tents had been destroyed or blown away. Everything was soaked. Everything, that is, except our Bibles and musical instruments. As we took inventory, we were in awe and wonder to witness the firsthand miracle. Every article of clothing – drenched. Every electronic device – inoperable. Every single makeup bag – dripping watercolors. Even the other books we had brought were so wet that the pages could not be turned. But every single Bible, guitar, and drum in that camp was bone dry. I can’t explain it, but I will never forget it, and neither will my friends who were there with me that day.
The concert was delayed because it was too dangerous to set up the sound equipment with the grounds that wet. But we didn’t care. We got what we came for – an encounter with God.
Many people left that day, even before the concert began. In one swift storm, God separated the sheep from the goats. The goats had nothing left, and so they left. But all the sheep stayed and played in the house of the Lord, holding onto nothing except His Word and our worship.
Eventually, the main stage was dry enough to set up. As Louis Giglio said a prayer and announced the first band, I remember looking up into the sky and seeing the face of Jesus in the clouds, smiling over all of us. Our prayers were answered, and He had our full attention. If that weren’t enough, the sun and winds came out with such ferocity that they dried up all the rain as well as our clothes. Our remnant slept in perfect peace that night and woke on the third and final day to some of the best live Christian music we had ever heard.
Take the next step: If God has interrupted your schedule, either through divine intervention or by way of your asking, remember that He will work all things together for your good if you choose to love Him through your active and obedient participation in what He is doing. It’s all about perspective. God answers prayers and he always gives us what we ask Him for if our request aligns with His Word. However, it is important to remember that, as pastor Jentezen Franklin says, “We serve a God who gives strangely wrapped gifts.”
To dive deeper into this incredible Biblical principle, check out his sermon here: