Numbers 22:31 NLT
Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
Beloved,
Our church just wrapped up a very powerful conference we hold annually: Arrowhead Conference. The objective of this conference is to sharpen us as stewards in God’s kingdom. A major component of our theme this year was “Encounter.” Every Christian tends to desire encounters, and that is good. In fact, serious-minded believers should desperately desire divine encounters. The problem comes when such a person lacks awareness of the meaning and purpose of encounter, how to recognize it, experience it, or even what to do with it.
The scripture above is pulled from the story of Balaam, a prophet who made the decision to go against the will of God. It took a donkey to help Balaam realize he was in the presence of the divine. May it not take an animal to help you see what God desires to reveal to you in Jesus’ mighty name.
Let’s begin this series by examining the definition of an encounter. A divine encounter is best described as follows:
A destiny transforming meeting of man with God directly or through any of His channels (servants of God, angels, His word or His Spirit). Another definition of divine encounter is God’s method of commissioning a person into a special assignment.
God always has a purpose for choosing to reveal Himself to us. We have the account of God’s reasoning for visiting Balaam which was to express His frustration with his blatant disobedience. The Bible says this:
Numbers 22:32 NKJV
And the Angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.’
We also have the account of God’s rationale for visiting Saul:
Acts 26:14 NKJV
And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Still, another definition of divine encounter with God is that it is a manifestation of God’s power to deliver His purpose on the earth. In other words, God, in His sovereignty, can choose to flex His power so that we are clear about who is in control and why. God holds all power. He is the creator and maker of all things and He has done so for a purpose. Everything has its purpose and place in Him. Once any being decides He wants to go against God’s will, God sends a gentle reminder about that creature’s purpose and place.
Finally, encounter can also be viewed as an interaction between humanity and divinity. Koinonia is one of my favorite words. It reflects sweet communion between us and the true and living God. It’s what we were created for in Him. And what I love about this is that it’s not about just being in his presence. That one is very important. But it must lead to fellowship and partnership with Him. We have a responsibility to get things done on the earth. But the truth is we can’t do it without Him.
Beloved, divine encounter is not optional in the life of a believer. It has the power to open blind eyes as it did in the case of Balaam (Numbers 22:31). May you understand the power and purpose of divine encounter and enjoy it accordingly.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
