Our Divine Appointments

“So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.” – Luke 1:8-10

This was no ordinary duty. Each day the priests gathered in the Hall of Polished Stones to cast lots, a practice understood not as chance but as God’s way of revealing His choice. Out of all the priests, Zacharias was selected for the most solemn moment of service—the offering of incense before the Lord. Tradition held that this honor could only be performed once in a lifetime, and now, in his old age, Zacharias was divinely appointed to stand in the place where heaven and earth would meet.

The incense itself was prepared from the ingredients commanded in Exodus 30:34–35, producing a thick smoke that symbolized the prayers of God’s people rising to heaven. Before the lot was drawn, the priests prayed and read the Ten Commandments, underscoring the holiness of the moment. This was not a coincidence or ritual without meaning—it was God’s precise plan unfolding. Just as Zacharias was chosen, so too are we positioned by God in moments that may seem ordinary but are filled with eternal significance. His appointments are never random; they are purposeful, designed to reveal His glory and advance His Kingdom.

It is important for believers today to recognize that our lives are not directed by chance but by divine appointment. Like Zacharias, we may feel advanced in years or overlooked, yet God places us exactly where He wants us. Our prayers, our service, and our obedience rise like incense before Him. Remain faithful in the place God has set you, even if it feels small or hidden. Trust that He is weaving your story into His greater plan. When you stand where He has appointed you, you stand in the place where heaven touches earth, and your life becomes a testimony of His sovereign purpose.

“We are informed in the Talmud, that it was the custom of the priests to divide the different functions of the sacerdotal office among themselves by lot: and, in this case, the decision of the lot was, that Zacharias should at that time burn the incense before the Lord, in the holy place.” – Adam Clarke