A good believer who travels on one road daily to his office. On the way, there was a church, and one beggar used to stand there and beg. One day, the Spirit of the Lord prompted him to stop and share the gospel with the beggar. He felt it was below his dignity to stop and that too to speak to a beggar. He did not stop. It happened for three days continuously. On the fourth day, as he passed, there was a crowd and a commotion. Peeping through the crowd, he saw the beggar dead and the municipal people were removing his body. Shocked, shattered, and shamed, he felt guilty for missing an opportunity.
Missed Opportunities: Opportunities are open for a short time. It comes, suddenly, and disappears suddenly. Sometimes the missed opportunities are lost forever. There are no more chances to regain those lost ones. God gives several opportunities to His children to be His instruments of righteousness. (Romans 6:13) However, there are many lost opportunities in the lives of believers, organizations, and churches.
Opportunity to intercede: The Lord Jesus Christ chose Peter, James, and John to come along with Him and intercede in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, they slept while the Lord travailed in prayers. (Mark 14:32-52) They must have regretted all their lives that they could not overcome sleep, to intercede along with the Lord. However, the opportunity never came for them again.
Opportunity to evangelize: The believer who was prompted by the Holy Spirit missed the opportunity to share the gospel with the beggar, who died. He would never again get that opportunity.
Opportunity to win: King Joash of Israel came to visit Elisha on his sick bed. First, Elisha asked Joash to shoot an arrow, which was the arrow of deliverance. Then he asked Jaosh to hit the arrows on the ground. Joash stopped after striking three times. Elisha rebuked him, he should have hit five or six times to get complete victory. Now he will defeat Aram only three times. (II Kings 13:18-19)
Do I utilize all the opportunities the Lord provides?