Written By Dianna Hobbs // EEW Magazine Online // Devotions

I married Kenya young—at 21—and had our first child just over a year after we wed. Although God was gracious to us, and our relationship is wonderful, there are many lessons we both had to learn about life along the way. I feel like we have grown up together.

Nowadays, we look back on our early years and say, wow, we were just kids and didn’t know it. But when we each reflect on the strength of our union, how happy our marriage has been and still is, and our four beautiful children who enrich our lives immensely, we are filled with gratitude. We also know without a doubt that the Lord brought us together. His hand orchestrated everything, and that’s why things have worked out as amazingly as they have over the past 22 years of marriage.

I’m so blessed to know that God’s hand is active in our lives as well as in the lives of believers throughout history. In Acts 10, we see God unite two people, not romantically, but for the sake of building the Kingdom of God. Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, and Simon Peter, the Jewish apostle, would have never crossed paths had God not set the whole thing up. Scripture tells us that God appeared to them both in a vision to prepare their hearts for what was to come.

Peter, a devout Jew, especially needed God to intervene to help him embrace Cornelius. You see, Cornelius, though the Bible describes him as a devout and God-fearing man (v. 2), was also a Gentile, and Peter was biased against Gentiles. He believed they were unclean and could not be filled with the Holy Spirit. But God told Peter in a vision, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (v. 15).

God made Peter aware that He loved the Gentiles equally as much as the Jews and had purified them too, and this spiritual revelation transformed Peter’s perspective. What he learned equipped him for his assignment which was preaching the gospel to non-Jews. In verse 34, Peter confessed, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.”

Had God not intervened, however, Peter never would have mingled with Cornelius and his Gentile relatives and friends, and the life-transforming gospel would not have been shared with them. What a shame that would have been, right?

Friend, the same God who touched Peter’s heart, gave Cornelius favor, and connected these men for Kingdom purposes, is giving you favor so His will may be accomplished. This word is putting you on notice that God is setting you up to be blessed. He is causing you to cross paths with people that can assist you in various ways. He is commanding those who can help you to bless you.

You don’t have to know it all. You don’t have to be well-connected. You don’t have to be from the right side of the tracks, so to speak. You don’t have to be part of an elite group. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be educated. You don’t even have to be worthy. All you have to be is a disciple of Jesus Christ, and that perfectly positions you to reap all the benefits that come with being a daughter of the King.

To be clear, being part of the family of God doesn’t guarantee that life will consist of all ups and no downs. Still, God does promise to cause everything to work together for your good. All you have to do is stay connected to Him, stay surrendered to His will, stay prayerful, and stay open to His leading. Then you will see God create outcomes in your life that you didn’t have the money, power, knowledge, connections, or favor to achieve on your own.  In all things, God’s outstretched hand will accomplish what He wants, and His purpose will prevail in your life. Of this you can be sure!

To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring Isaiah 14:27 into your cup of inspiration, which says, “For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who shall annul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, if you have been worrying about how things will turn out in your life, release that worry. Don’t stress over what the outcome will be. Just be confident that God’s hand is orchestrating the events of your destiny, and His will shall be done in your life.

Even on bad days, know that His good plan will not be thwarted, and everything He has for you, you will receive it. Stay encouraged!

This devotion was used by permission from Dianna Hobbs’ “Your Daily Cup of Inspiration.” For more great encouragement like this, visit her official blog here.