Jehovah Sneaky: The God of Surprise and Delight

There is a top-secret mission happening right now. Things are moving and shaking behind the scenes. People are being placed in positions, and skills are being taught and learned. You may not be aware of it, but the Lord is at work preparing something you wouldn’t believe even if he told you. And the best part is, he is getting a big kick out of the whole thing!

Jehovah sneaky: the God of surprise and delight.

My husband and I opened a coffee shop in March. This was not something we had dreamt of doing or had been planning for years. In fact, to many people in our lives it seems as though this came out of the blue! On the surface it seems to have started because of a Christmas present. I bought my husband a personal nitro cold brew keg for Christmas two years ago, and he really geeked out over it. The idea came about as he enjoyed trying all kinds of coffee in his nitro keg, and subsequently teas and other drinks. He said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had a coffee shop that felt like a craft brewery but had many varieties of coffees and teas on tap? It was a great idea, and we took a risk—-a big one! We’ve never done anything like this before. Intrepid Nitro Coffee and Tea Bar (In Knoxville TN) came about because of a gift. But was it more than that? Had the Lord used so many little things along the way? Yes! That’s what he does!

As I look back, I can see so many little puzzle pieces that have slowly been laid out to make the frame. The random six months my husband worked at Starbucks when we were in grad school gave him the basic knowledge of barista life. The first person we met when we moved to the city, we now live in asked us what we had planned; “We want to open a coffee and tea bar,” she said, “I own a tea company!” She became our tea provider. While speaking at a conference in a different state I met a man who happened to live in my city and own two coffee shops. He roasts our coffee and was integral in helping us get started. Months of looking for the perfect location all over the city ended with us in the same intersection I had declared the first day we visited the city that it was my dream location. Two of our first employees were from the small town we had just moved from 3000 miles away, but we didn’t know them.

In Deuteronomy Chapter 31, the Lord tells Moses and Joshua that he will go before them and conquer the land, before they even get there, preparing it for his people. While the rest of the narrative follows the steps of the people, I can only imagine what the Lord was doing. Of course, time isn’t linear to the Lord, but I love the thought of the Lord dispatching angels to pave the way, and then God himself moving through the land with strategy and victory.

“The Lord will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites. The Lord will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you. So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” — Deuteronomy 31:4-6

The Lord went before them long before this moment. He was at work building cities, cultivating land, and shaping people’s hearts and lives. What does the untold story of Rahab consist of? How was her life prepared for that fateful day she met the spies? The God of the universe is Lord over the heavens and the earth and the nitty gritty. He is in the details.

One thing that I find interesting is that, even though God had gone before the Israelites to prepare the way, there were still battles they had to fight. God didn’t pave Easy Street for them! The obstacles and battles they faced weren’t because they were on the wrong path, the challenges had purpose. This brings me so much comfort. We know without a doubt that the Lord has paved the way for us in this new venture. It’s filled with God’s glorious footprints, it’s also full of challenges.

On your path today, I bless you to look for the glorious, tiptoed footprints of your Father in heaven. He has gone before you, preparing the way and leaving traces of His goodness for you to find. There are also battles along the way for you to fight, but take heart, you are not fighting alone, He has prepared you for this battle. Jehovah Sneaky, He loves to be found.

Joyfully,