The Daily Divine
Written By Lorrie Tom
In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
John 5:17
I have a go-to divine intervention story. It’s the one about God waking me up in the middle of the night and telling me, “Quit law school to become a teacher.” The next morning, I obeyed and began the path toward my true calling.
But here’s the thing: not everyone has monumental divine intervention stories that give listeners goosebumps. While I’m in awe of God's purpose-driven intervention in my life, sometimes it’s the everyday ordinary interventions that move me the most. All we need to do is pause to pay attention.
Flower blooms leaning toward sunshine–count that divine.
Plentiful food on my table–count that divine.
A heart that keeps pumping–count that divine.
But more importantly, I’m stunned by divine intervention moments that escape my perception.
A few months ago, I read a picture book called Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Two young boys decide to dig a gigantic hole because they want to discover something extraordinary. They get frustrated because all they find is dirt, but what the reader sees and they don’t is that there are HUGE BUILDING-SIZED diamonds beside them the entire way; literally inches from their shovels. I imagine this is what our lives are like. God is constantly intervening and we have no idea.
Maybe He made you leave ten minutes later to avoid a car accident?
Maybe He made sure you’d meet your best friend at Trader Joe’s on a Tuesday afternoon in the produce section?
Maybe He made you walk outside to behold the first daffodil bloom of spring?
It’s fun to play the Maybe Game, and sometimes God moves our shovels a few inches to the right and we get a glimpse of the big diamond moments, but most of the time, like Sam and Dave, I bet we’re 100% oblivious.
And for that I’m thankful.
It’s like gazing at the infinite depths of the night sky and trying to comprehend how far and long it took for the light of a single star to reach my eyes. I’m humbled by things I’ll never understand. Or see.
I'm comforted that my divine intervention list overflows with the miraculous and mundane, finding awe in all that God reveals, plus everything else hiding in plain sight.
But here’s the thing: not everyone has monumental divine intervention stories that give listeners goosebumps. While I’m in awe of God's purpose-driven intervention in my life, sometimes it’s the everyday ordinary interventions that move me the most. All we need to do is pause to pay attention.
Flower blooms leaning toward sunshine–count that divine.
Plentiful food on my table–count that divine.
A heart that keeps pumping–count that divine.
But more importantly, I’m stunned by divine intervention moments that escape my perception.
A few months ago, I read a picture book called Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Two young boys decide to dig a gigantic hole because they want to discover something extraordinary. They get frustrated because all they find is dirt, but what the reader sees and they don’t is that there are HUGE BUILDING-SIZED diamonds beside them the entire way; literally inches from their shovels. I imagine this is what our lives are like. God is constantly intervening and we have no idea.
Maybe He made you leave ten minutes later to avoid a car accident?
Maybe He made sure you’d meet your best friend at Trader Joe’s on a Tuesday afternoon in the produce section?
Maybe He made you walk outside to behold the first daffodil bloom of spring?
It’s fun to play the Maybe Game, and sometimes God moves our shovels a few inches to the right and we get a glimpse of the big diamond moments, but most of the time, like Sam and Dave, I bet we’re 100% oblivious.
And for that I’m thankful.
It’s like gazing at the infinite depths of the night sky and trying to comprehend how far and long it took for the light of a single star to reach my eyes. I’m humbled by things I’ll never understand. Or see.
I'm comforted that my divine intervention list overflows with the miraculous and mundane, finding awe in all that God reveals, plus everything else hiding in plain sight.
Reflective Question
for the Day
What’s on your divine intervention list?
Lorrie Tom has lived within sight of the Pacific since her early twenties, but she’s a mountain girl at heart. Patagucci is her favorite fleece designer, especially when she’s wearing it on the ski slopes. She’s an avid reader. In 2024, her favorite devotional (other than Coastline’s!) was Kate Bowler’s Have a Beautiful Terrible Day. Her favorite fiction read was James by Percival Everett. And you already know her favorite children’s picture book.