Does God speak today? Are the seemingly random coincidences and events just that or is something more going on in our lives? Does His Spirit intersect and cross into our lives pointing things out, bringing things to remembrance that he’s said from of old?
I woke up and saw the time was 6.48. One of my sons who shall be nameless(!) came out of the bathroom, jangling the key in the lock, which was what woke me. I’d dozed back off to sleep after going to the loo about 5.40. I walked round the bed looking at my wife’s clock as her alarm hadn’t gone off at 6. I said Debbie, Debbie wake up, your clocks not right and woke her and she lept up saying I’ve only got 20 minutes to get ready for work!! So she went into the shower. I went down to make her a cup of tea as she’d asked and looked at the time on the cooker which was the same as what her clock said and thought that’s weird and then I looked at the clock in the dining room and then I realised my clock had gone forward an hour. I thought how weird my clock had jumped to BST time 5 days early!
For those who don’t know BST is British Summer Time which is when British clock times are moved forward an hour on the last Sunday in March in the early hours of the morning.
During the week the minister at St Clare’s in Guildford was telling us about two of his clocks that had stopped at 7.45 when he was praying, which he said was weird. He was praying about it and wondered what it meant and in a Bible study later, they were looking at a passage in Acts and suddenly he realised that this passage was his clock time Acts 7.45 and the Lord spoke through the scripture encouraging him in what it was saying into the church situation which he is involved in.
On listening to that my clock incident came to me and I thought The Lord was speaking, yet what?
He is speaking through his words. Those words are in the time the clock changed!
There are 4 Bible books that have 6 chapters and have a 48th verse. The first one I will share is in John 6 with the surrounding context.
John 6:41-51 LEB
[41] Now the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” [42] and they were saying, “Is this one not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” [43] Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves! [44] No one is able to come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. [45] It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears from the Father and learns comes to me. [46] (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—this one has seen the Father.) [47] Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. [48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. [50] This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that someone may eat from it and not die. [51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The day before I had been praying that I would have a revelation about the resurrection! There’s a lot going on in regards to resurrection which I don’t understand. It’s an amazing thing to set our thoughts on! Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life. He also says here and earlier in the chapter I am the bread of life. Maybe this is what is happening at resurrection you move forward metaphorically. You gain time. The fact that the clock went forward an hour and 5 days early is to me a sign, one where He was getting my attention and also reminding me to pay attention.
A little Google synopsis.
It’s important to remember that while numbers in the Bible often carry symbolic meaning, their interpretation can vary. However, the consistent association of the number 5 with God’s grace and goodness makes it a significant number in biblical numerology.
This event happened on 25.3.25. There’s a pattern. This date is interesting as 25 is a multiple of 5, emphasising grace and goodness and 3 is often seen in the Bible as a number of completion, fullness.
Now is this coincidence or am I seeing things which aren’t there?
As I read through the scripture, I remembered the prayer I’d been praying about showing me more about resurrection. That’s a good start I thought.
The next 6.48 to look at is
Luke 6:48 LEB
[48] he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well.
This passage for me at this time is about going deeper with God. The man dug his foundations and went down deep! He had security whatever was thrown at him as he went deep into God.
Then there’s an old testament reference which is about a group who were key in the administration of the things of the Lord.
1 Chronicles 6:48 LEB
[48] And their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.
This is a reminder to us as believers: Will you love my church and the things of my kingdom? The things that belong to me?
And finally Mark chapter 6 has this reference:
Mark 6:48 LEB
[48] And he saw them being beaten in their rowing because the wind was against them. Around the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he was wanting to pass by them.
Now that’s an intriguing little verse by itself. When I first read that I read it as, He wasn’t even going towards them. He was on a mission yet he went out of his way to meet with them in his compassion.
Pass by The same expression appears in the Old Testament when God displays His glory to people (Exod 33:17–34:8; 1 Kgs 19:11–13).Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Note below from the NET:
Sn The statement he wanted to pass by them is somewhat difficult to understand. There are at least two common interpretations: (1) it refers to the perspective of the disciples, that is, from their point of view it seemed that Jesus wanted to pass by them; or (2) it refers to a theophany and uses the language of the Greek Old Testament (LXX) when God “passed by” Moses at Sinai (cf. Exod 33:19, 22). According to the latter alternative, Jesus is “passing by” the disciples during their struggle, in order to assure them of his presence with them. See W L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 236.
To me it’s both things that are being said above.
Through this clock change and these scriptures He is emphasising his grace. Grace that’s sufficient for you. His grace flows from his Spirit of grace and truth. This is a season of grace. Grace upon grace. The idea of Grace also holds within it the favour of God.
It took me a while to see what I believe the Lord was saying but I got there. It doesn’t always happen immediately, sometimes it does but like this time it catches your attention and you’re left pondering and meditating further wanting to go deeper, and to keep listening and looking for Him.
By the way there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with my clock all is normal again since that happened! Someone was getting my attention!
NB. Remember to read the context of each of these scriptures that are given both where they are found in their literary context and in there historical context.