When was the last time you were seriously caught off guard?  Possibly a large bill came that you weren't expecting, or maybe it was an illness, or you had an accident.  You could have been called on to make a presentation, or train someone, or give an account - for which you were not prepared.  Maybe it was a positive surprise, possibly someone sent you a gift or expressed love that you had not expected.

Even though some interruptions are fun and exciting, we all tend to fear being caught in an ill-equipped state.  Some of us give inordinate portions of our lives to make sure we are always ready so that these "surprises" will never happen.  However, often the times when we have been caught off guard have served as very positive experiences that moved us outside of our natural comfort zones, and have been used to expand or deep our lives.

Most God encounters seem to catch people off guard.  Moses was not expecting a burning bush (Exodus 3:3); David wasn't expecting to be anointed king (1 Samuel 16:11); Zechariah was not expecting Gabriel to meet him in the temple (Luke 1:12); and Mary was not expecting to be addressed with favor by the angel (Luke 1:29-30).

As we grow more secure in our relationship with the Lord, we should also grow more secure in who we are - and less rocked by our circumstances.  To grow in the Lord is to become more aware of, and believing in, the sovereignty of God.  He rules over the circumstances of life, and He will use them all for our strengthening. (Romans 2:28)  This being true, we can even rest (to some extent) when we are caught off guard by the movements of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes people mistake the peace of God for circumstantial peace, and they work very hard at ordering their lives so as not to be surprised or caught off guard spiritually.  The real peace of God, however, is not shaken or rocked by new, changing or challenging circumstances.  As a matter of fact, the peace of God within us can recognize and even rejoice, knowing that God often catches us off guard for our deepest good.  He catches us when our guards are down, when our naturally self-protecting and self-securing walls are down.

Are you willing to be caught off guard by God?  Can you even invite Him into those places ahead of time?  Do you trust God enough to invite Him to catch you by surprise today and/or whenever He wants?  This is often when most of our personal and spiritual ground is gained - when God catches us off guard.

Often Caught off guard with you,

Pastor Tom

tgriffith@rolcboston.org