That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
Matthew 13:1-2 NIV
In Matthew 13, Jesus stepped out of a house and sat by the lake — no announcement, no sermon prepared, no pre-arrangement. Yet what unfolded next was quietly remarkable. Great crowds soon gathered around Him. He had to step into a boat. He spoke from the water, while all the people stood on the shore (Matthew 13:1–2). Being available to God at any time does not require a grand occasion — and this moment showed it.
Notably, Jesus had not left the house with a plan to preach. There is no record that the Father had told Him a crowd was coming. He simply went out. And then they came — not one or two, but great multitudes.
A Heart Always Available to God
It was the crowd’s very arrival that compelled Jesus to teach. Moreover, their coming, their gathering, their presence — these drew out His response. He did not retreat or wait for a better moment. Instead, He simply taught them. This reveals how Jesus lived — not on a schedule, but in a state of continual readiness.
Being available to God at any time is not about the right setting or a prepared platform. Jesus had neither that morning. Yet He ministered with grace and authority. The capacity was present, therefore, because the surrender was present. His heart was wholly given to God — open to whoever and whatever the Father allowed.
This passage carries a personal invitation. God does not only desire a life that shows up on special occasions. Rather, He wants a heart He can use at any time. Furthermore, He desires to work through us in ordinary moments, without prior notice, for His glory.
So the honest question is this: how available am I, truly? Is it only when conditions feel right? Or am I — like Jesus walking out of that house — simply open to whatever the Father allows next? Ultimately, being available to God at any time begins with a posture of the heart. It is a daily decision: Lord, wherever I go, I am yours to use.
Living It Out
Ask God today to shape you into the kind of person He can use at any moment. Not only in prepared settings, but in ordinary, unscheduled ones. Your greatest moment of ministry may begin with simply stepping outside.