And we know");
document.writeln("that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been");
document.writeln("called according to his purpose.1
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document.writeln("The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting");
document.writeln("missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald J. Smith.");
document.writeln("One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over");
document.writeln("again, he prayed, \'€śLord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of");
document.writeln("service for me.\'€ť Now, at last, his prayer would be answered.
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document.writeln("When the examination was over, the board turned Oswald Smith down. He did not");
document.writeln("meet their qualifications. He failed the test. Oswald Smith had set his");
document.writeln("direction, but now life gave him a detour. What would he do? As Oswald Smith");
document.writeln("prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a");
document.writeln("missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. And that");
document.writeln("is what he did. Oswald Smith was pastor of The Peoples Church in Toronto,");
document.writeln("Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time.");
document.writeln("Oswald Smith brought God into the situation, and God transformed his detour");
document.writeln("into a main thoroughfare of service.2
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document.writeln("Over the course of eighty years, Oswald Smith preached more than 12,000 sermons");
document.writeln("in 80 countries, wrote thirty-five books, which were translated into 128");
document.writeln("languages, and wrote 1,200 poems. His");
document.writeln("heart was to be a missionary and take the Gospel message around the world, and");
document.writeln("that is exactly what he did! God just had a different image in mind of what");
document.writeln("that looked like for Oswald.
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document.writeln("So, when God puts a detour in your path, you will never know what results it");
document.writeln("may produce. Our limited mind cannot see the larger picture God has in mind, so");
document.writeln("trust His plan for you. Through Him you can do amazing things!
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you that when I surrender my life to you, you");
document.writeln("direct my paths and lead me in the way you want me to go. Help me trust your");
document.writeln("plan and be faithful in the work you have given me to do. In the name of Jesus");
document.writeln("I pray, amen.
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document.writeln("1. Romans 8:28 (NIV).
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document.writeln("2. Brian L. Harbour, Rising");
document.writeln("Above the Crowd. Cited on http://www.bible.org/
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The Encounter for");
document.writeln("today was written by: Crystal B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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