When people speak of God’s voice through circumstances, they normally mean open and closed doors. If a door is open, they assume God is leading them to take a step through that door. If the door is closed, they assume God is telling them to do something else. This is NOT what I’m talking about in this post. When I speak of God’s voice through circumstances, I am talking about events in our lives that God uses to arrest our attention. Perhaps a story will illustrate what I mean.

Aden’s Amazing Memory

I arrived in Toronto late one night from a conference in Western Canada. After I deplaned, I pulled out my phone and checked Uber and Lyft, the two rideshare companies that work at Pearson Airport. Since Lyft was a few dollars cheaper, I booked my ride with Lyft. After a short wait, my ride pulled up: a black Honda Civic driven by a man with a big beard.

Aden, the driver, was friendly and chatty. I sank back into the seat as the car pulled onto the highway. Aden’s friendly talk receded into the background as my mind began to fade into fatigue-induced oblivion.

After about ten minutes, something caught my attention. Aden didn’t sound like he was raised in Canada. I began to engage with the driver. Our conversation went a little bit like the following:

Neil: If you don’t mind, would you tell me your country of origin?

Aden: My country is Somalia, but I grew up in Kenya.

Neil: I was born in Somalia.

Aden: You were born in Somalia? Wow, I don’t get many people born in Somalia.

Neil: I spent time in Kenya too. There were a lot of Somalis in Nairobi.

We talked about Somalia and Kenya for a while. Then Aden continued…

Aden: We’ve had this conversation before. I picked you up 3-4 years ago downtown. I was driving for Uber then. I have a photographic memory. Between Uber and Lyft I’ve taken some 9,000 passengers, but I have never taken the same person twice. Even when I go to the same building, I never get the same passenger. You are the only person I’ve picked up twice. This is an amazing coincidence.

Neil: And not only that, I was born in your country.

That got me thinking. Sometimes coincidences occur because God is involved. I began to ask, Lord, what are you doing in this situation? What are you trying to say through this circumstance? The only answer I got was that I was supposed to ask Aden the same question. Our conversation continued…

Neil: Do you believe in God?  I knew that most Somalis, like around 99%, are Muslim, but I didn’t want to assume anything about Aden. And I wanted to ease into my topic gently.

Aden: I definitely do believe in God.

Neil: What do you think God is saying through this coincidence, that you picked me up twice and I was born in Somalia? What message is God trying to communicate to you?

Aden: (after thinking for a bit) You have something from God for me, a message from God for me. Something that will bring me success in life.

Neil: I do have something for you. I carry something that is a key for you: the key to eternal life. Sometimes we are so focused on success in this life, but eternal life is what really matters.

Aden: Yes, yes. You are right. If you give me your business card, I will definitely call you.

At the end of my ride, I gave Aden my card. Perhaps you could pause for a moment to pray for Aden. Pray that he will find the key to eternal life.

God’s Voice Through Circumstances

As Aden correctly understood, there was a message from God for him in the unique circumstance he encountered. God was speaking to Aden.

Indeed, the Bible shows us that God speaks through circumstances. God said to the returnees from exile who were focused on their own comfort, “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it….” “Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.” (Haggai 1:5-6, 9) The returnees’ ongoing lack of economic success contained a message from God for them, if they had ears to hear it.

We also see God communicating through circumstances in the New Testament. When the disciples forgot to bring bread with them, Jesus used that event to warn them about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:5-12). There was a message for them in the circumstance, if they had ears to hear it.

Have you recently faced an unusual circumstance? Why don’t you stop and ask God if he is trying to say something to you through it.

Photo by Anas Ahmed