I Choose Today to Find God in the Unexpected

One of the things we can ascertain from reading the Bible and living as a child of God, is He rarely, if ever, does things the way we expect or anticipate. As a result, we see over and over again stories of missing God’s goodness and miracles God is doing in and among us. Even worse, we risk missing the fullness of His presence.

John 1:10-11 (NLT)

“He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him.”

It broke Jesus’ heart that the city which was the center of His chosen people, didn’t recognize Him. We might think they were foolish not to recognize and accept Him when He was walking among us, right? But we do the same thing, don’t we?

We think we are right in our expectations of God because it makes sense to us. But that is where we miss recognizing that He is walking among us.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says,

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

This verse tells us that God’s ways are not the same as our own, so why do we keep expecting Him to show up in ways we understand and anticipate?

There are many examples of people missing God’s working because they are looking for what they believe makes the most sense to them. Samuel almost missed anointing the king God wanted because he was looking at the outward appearances of what a king should look like instead of looking at the heart of a lowly shepherd boy. God used an ordinary foreigner in Ruth, along with the kinsman redeemer to be in the line of the coming Messiah.

And then there is the most ordinary of them all; the Messiah was supposed to be a warrior, someone to come dethrone the Romans, and take his place as the king of the Jews. But God had something better, more inclusive in mind. He sent His only Son into the world, not in kingly robes with pomp and circumstance, but as a lowly baby born in a humble manger with ordinary earthly parents. The Jewish people were not looking for a Savior in the form of a baby, so they missed the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace; they missed their Savior, the true Messiah.

Like the people of Jesus’ time, we can sometimes feel disheartened when God’s actions don’t match our expectations. But take heart—our God is faithful and always working, even in the moments we don’t understand. His love and presence are with us, whether or not we recognize them right away.

The people of Jesus’ time failed to recognize their Savior because He didn’t meet their expectations. In the same way, we too can miss God’s presence in our lives when we expect Him to act in ways that make sense to us. But His work is always there, even in the ordinary moments.

So, how can we train ourselves to see Him more clearly?

• Live Expectantly: First, we can be on the lookout for it. If we expect the unexpected, then we are more likely to see it.
• Pray: We can pray that the Holy Spirit open our eyes to what He is doing so we don’t miss it!
• Meditate on Scripture: Reflect on verses like John 1:10-11 or Isaiah 55:8-9, reminding yourself of God’s higher ways.
• Look for God in the Ordinary: Challenge yourself to notice His fingerprints in everyday moments—through a kind word, a sunrise, or a moment of peace.

Today, I challenge you to pause and reflect: Where might you be missing God’s presence because it doesn’t look the way you expect? Take a moment to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to His work in the ordinary moments of your life. Then, write down one ‘unexpected’ way you’ve seen His hand at work this week, and thank Him for showing up in ways only He can.