But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  Luke 10:33 

 

One night a man walking to church saw four boys hanging about on a street corner, so he invited them to go with him. They did, and they returned with him the following Sunday. Actually they became the nucleus of a Sunday school class he began to teach. Years later his friends decided to contact the four boys, see what had happened to them, and to invite each to write a special birthday letter to be read at a surprise party for their old teacher. Their letters were real eye-openers. One boy had become a missionary to China, one was president of the Federal Reserve Bank, one was private secretary to President Herbert Hoover and the fourth was - President Hoover himself! Be alert! God-encounters usually take place on your way to somewhere else. If you’re not sensitive to God’s Spirit you’ll miss: (a) a real blessing (b) a chance to grow (c) an opportunity to put God’s interests ahead of your own. Jesus left the comfort of heaven to walk the road of human need. He didn’t set up a throne in each town and say, 'This is My place; if you want to see Me come here.' No, He went to the market place. He went to the boats of fishermen. He went to the homes of people. He '... went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere' (Luke 9:6). The moment your compassion is activated, stop! You may be on the verge of a God-encounter!