Has God ever interrupted your life?

I had just finished a series of meetings in Idaho earlier and was waiting for a flight from Boise, Idaho, to San Francisco, California, where I would pick up a rental car and drive three or four hours to Pastor Rick and Debbi Milliken's church in Clovis, California (a suburb of Fresno).

While in the Boise airport, I encountered various interruptions in my travel plans. My plane to San Francisco was delayed so far back that I wasn't going to be able to drive to Clovis in time for the meeting. I had to completely change my rental car and airline reservations.

The airline was gracious enough to allow me to fly into the Fresno Airport at no extra charge, but I still had a lot of rearranging to do - a new car rental pickup/drop-off in a different cities, plus contacting the Pastors to pick me up that day.

Being a traveling minister, I have come to learn to deal with frequent interruptions in my travel plans. But nothing prepared me for what was about to happen to me in the Thursday evening service at Jubilee Family Center.

All throughout that day, I was excited to preach a new sermon at that night's service. I had prepared, but I kept feeling the Lord "nudging" my heart to "be open" to the Spirit's leading that night.

During the praise and worship service, I still had my mind made up to minister the new sermon. Then it happened…while worshipping God, I heard words so clear and precise they went into the depths of my heart…."Will you allow me to interrupt your lives?"

I was literally shaken; tears began to swell up in my eyes. I just heard the voice of the Lord not just ask a question, but also offer a challenge to me and the rest of the people there that night.

I left the sanctuary immediately and I asked one of the church members to help me find a dictionary. I had to find what the definition of this word "interrupt" was. After a few minutes, Pastor Debbi brought me a dictionary. I began to read.

Interrupt: "Inter between, to break into, to break in upon a person, to stop or hinder by breaking in, to break the uniformity of continuity of…."

That night, I let God interrupt my life! I stood to minister that night not from my newly prepared sermon but from my heart, about the question God just asked me. I challenged the congregation that night with what was spoken to me. I poured out my heart and then asked the people if they wanted God to interrupt their lives.

People began to come to the altar and weep, some walked around the sanctuary and others stayed in their seats as we all prayed to let God "break into" our lives.

I want to pass along this challenge to you as well. Will you allow God to interrupt your life?

You may have been a Christian for years, living a godly life, but you seem to be in what I call "rut living." Week after week just doing the same thing over and over again. But letting God interrupt your life can change you from just living day to day, to living each day ready for an encounter with God.

Examples in the Word
Abraham had an encounter when he was 75 years old and God told him to leave his country. At 100 years old, he became not just a father to a son named Isaac, but a Father to many nations. The 12 disciples that followed Jesus were all "interrupted" individually from their different occupations and lifestyles and brought together by Jesus to fulfill a common goal.

Mary was interrupted in her youth, chosen to be the one to give birth to the Messiah. Even though she was very young, she allowed God to interrupt her life, saying "Be it unto me according to Thy Word."

Even the early church was preparing for an "interruption." Much like Noah, they were preparing for something they didn't fully understand, but they were willing to allow God "to break the uniformity and continuity of" their normal daily lives.

There were 120 individuals that went into the upper room (Acts 1:5) and "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication" (Acts 1:14) for a period of 10 days. They went from having a prayer meeting to an interruption of God's presence.

The Bible describes it as a "suddenly" (Acts 2:2). Suddenly is defined as a "changing of angle or character all at once, happening or coming unexpectedly or made or brought about in a short time.

The 120 in the upper room were so changed that they went onto the streets and caused "devout men out of every nation under heaven to be amazed and marvel." and "multitudes to be confounded" (Acts 2:5-7). People who were shy and backwards became bold; people who didn't witness became witnesses.

Look at Peter's life. He was fishing one day and Jesus came by and interrupted him and his brother's lives by saying "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19).

For the next three and a half years, Peter ate, slept and lived with Jesus. He saw the miracles, signs and wonders, and heard the teachings of Christ. In spite of all this, he still couldn't witness to a little girl. He denied Jesus three times and tried to kill a man, but ended up cutting off his ear. Eventually, Peter went back to fishing at the place where Jesus first interrupted his life.

In time, Peter found himself as one of 120 individuals waiting for a promise. He wasn't sure what to expect, but for 10 days he prayed along with the others in the upper room until God "suddenly" brought another interruption into his life.

This interruption caused Peter's character to be "changed all at once." He went from hiding in fear to ministering and having 3,000 people get saved at the church's first altar call. Regardless of all Peter's mistakes and shortcomings, God allowed Peter not only to give the first altar call, but also to give the second altar call (Acts 4:4) where 5,000 more believed!

It doesn't matter if you think you are too old, too young, made too many mistakes, or squandered too many opportunities to have God "interrupt" your life to put purpose and joy back in your life. Letting God interrupt your life is as simple as drawing near to Him. When you and I do that, He will draw near to us. Just like blind Bartimeus did in Mark 10.

Then they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me (now)! And many severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still; but he kept on shouting out all the more, You Son of David, have pity and mercy on me (now)! And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage; get up, He is calling you. And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, Master, let me receive my sight. And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has healed you. And at once he received his sight and accompanied Jesus on the road.
(Mark 10:46-52)

Are you ready to accept the challenge? Will you allow God to interrupt your life? I promise you... you will never be the same again.

Todd Bailey Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.