5 Ways to Encounter God in Unexpected Places
I’ve been thinking about how to encounter God in the ordinary moments of my days for a few years now. Today, we’ll discuss 5 ways to encounter God in tough times and unexpected places. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you connect with God.
5 Ways to Encounter God
Looking back over these years, I smile as I consider the ways God has most frequently revealed himself in my life: God did the most soul-shaping work in my life in very unexpected places.
I consider these thoughts as I put myself in the shoes of a young man who has tried so hard to do the right things in his life. He is engaged to a special girl, and he’s eager to spend his life with her. They are preparing for a long life together when, suddenly, the unexpected unfolds in front of them.
She comes to him in a quiet place, and she tells him she’s going to have a baby. He knows the baby isn’t his. The news shatters his heart, crushes his dreams. He decides to send her away secretly. No one needs to know.
He is trying to make sense of this unexpected turn of events when an angel of the Lord appears. The angel confirms that the Child conceived within Mary’s womb is conceived of the Holy Spirit. The Child is the promised Messiah, and he will save the people from their sins.
When God Doesn’t Meet Our Expectations
The Savior of the world didn’t show up in Joseph’s life according to his expectations. Given a hundred possibilities for how the Messiah might come, Joseph wouldn’t have put this one on the list. But this is how Jesus came.
God with us, Immanuel, wrapped in the totally dependent body of an infant, came from an unexpected place. The world didn’t expect him to show up like this, and his earthly dad never saw it coming.
What if he’s showing up in the concerned expression on a neighbor’s face, in the grief of our greatest moments of loss, in the loneliness of our shattered dreams, and in the eyes of our children?
What if he’s here in the midst of our harsh words, our hurry, our escapist behaviors, and our modern-day idol worship?
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he didn’t leave us on our own. Before he ascended, he spoke these words, “And lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He is always with us, but we tend to overlook his presence.
5 Ways to Encounter God in Unexpected Places
Today, let’s take a few moments to look at the unexpected places God often chooses to show up in our lives. Here are 5 ways to encounter God in unexpected places.
1. Encounter God in your suffering.
God is close when you are suffering.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us that God is close to the broken-hearted.
It’s easy to buy the lie that God has abandoned us during long seasons of suffering; however, if we keep our hearts soft, some of the most profound encounters with God often happen in the valley of suffering.
In our weakness, God reveals his power.
2. God is present in your interrupted plans.
If there’s one place where I tend to forget about encountering God, it’s when my plans are interrupted.
Whether it’s a small interruption in a full day or a larger interruption that throws the course of our lives off track for months, I forget to watch for God’s hand amid life’s interruptions.
As Henri Nouwen once suggested, interruptions feel like they hinder my work; more accurately, the interruptions are my work.
As Henri Nouwen once suggested, interruptions feel like they hinder my work; more accurately, the interruptions are my work. #faith #interruptions Share on X
3. God is present when you are fearful.
Nothing leads me to take my eyes off Christ like a cloud of fear.
Sadly, when I let fear become my focus, I worship my fear. Fear dominates my thoughts and preoccupies my mind. You cannot worship God while worshiping your fear.
Every time I use fear as a prompt to remind me to lift my eyes to the Lord, I encounter God in my fear. As I press into him, his love pushes back against my greatest fears.
4. God is present at your breaking point.
Have you ever reached the end of your rope and wondered where to turn next?
By the grace of God, when we reach our breaking points, we often find God’s open arms beneath us, waiting to catch us. Sometimes, it takes coming to the end of our own strength to encounter the One whose strength is always sufficient.
Are you at a breaking point in life? Turn to the open arms of God. Ask him for help. Let him lead you through the next open door, one slow step at a time.
5. God is present when you have no sense of him.
God is always with us. If you are a follower of Christ, he has promised that he will never abandon you (Deut. 31:6). God is with you even when you don’t sense his presence. Turn to him. Ask him for strength. He has not left you to navigate on your own.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
A Devotional for Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
If these 5 ways to encounter God blessed you, I have a gift for you. God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. 
