Exodus 2:3, 5 (NIV) But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.

Many times when you read scripture, you read a series of events that, to most people, seem random. But when we read God’s Word, we must remember that nothing about God or what He does is ever random. The Word tells us that people may have plans, but it is God’s will and purpose that will prevail (Proverbs 19:21). The story above is about Moses. Pharaoh was trying to control the growth of the Hebrew people living in Egypt and he decreed that every male child that was born must be thrown into the Nile. But a certain Levite woman gave birth to a male child and somehow, she realized that he was no ordinary baby. So she hid him for three months. She made a basket and then put the baby in and placed it in the Nile River. She probably thought it was her plan but as it turned out, God had ordained it all along because He had big plans for the child. The Word tells us that she then placed the child in the basket and put it along the bank of the Nile. Then, Pharoah’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe. She went right then when the baby was placed in the Nile. If Pharoah’s daughter would have gone five minutes earlier or five minutes later, she would never have seen it. But she went at just the right time because it was God’s doing all along.

I love God’s “then” moments. The way that He works His will out in our lives is amazing. He does things perfectly every time and it all works out when you belong to Him and have placed your life in His hands. I have had a lot of “then” moments that I have been aware of and I wonder how many others I have had that I was not aware of. God is always working out His will and purposes in this world and he weaves them into the lives of His people so that we can participate in accomplishing His will on earth just like it’s done in heaven. That’s why it is so vitally important to submit your life to God. When you do that, you will be on the road to God’s perfect plan for your life and you will experience some glorious moments as you become part of God’s miraculous timetable that connects the “thens” of our lives to the “thens” of other people’s lives. The results are the beautifully woven fabric of God’s will and plan that benefits you and many others around you, all to His glory.

Two years ago, my wife and I had a car accident...with each other. We were driving separately, coming home from our prayer meeting at church when my wife hit a patch of black ice and went sliding down a hill. I then hit that same patch and also went sliding down the hill and right into her. It was not a major accident, but both cars were damaged. I then took our cars to a random shop that I had found on the internet that was near my house. I usually took our cars to a big auto body shop, but this time I decided to go somewhere else. I got to the new place that was five minutes away from my house and then I met the owner. He was a born-again believer. He helped me with both my cars and we became close friends. He has since been a blessing to our family and to our church, as he has a doctorate in apologetics and has done a few seminars for us that have been a great blessing to us and to many people That all would not have happened without God’s “and thens.” So the next time something happens and then you are led do something regarding it, watch out for God’s amazing hand in your life as He is working everything out for your good and for His purposes...and then, you can give Him thanks and praise for the miraculous and wonderful way that He works!

Pastor Joey Vazquez