People pray many prayers concerning themselves. Lord help me…lose weight, quit smoking, quit drinking, get a job, know You better, be kinder to others, lead others to You, be a good witness, and so on. Petitions come easily enough but should never be the end of our actions. A friend of mine loves the saying, “God feeds the birds of the air but He doesn’t drop the worm into their nests”. Our God is a God of action and He expects the same from us.

Even in the stories of God’s miracles in the Old Testament He expected to see some action from the people He was acting on behalf. God spared Noah and his family but first they had to build the ark. God parted the Red Sea but the people had to cross on their own two feet. God provided manna from heaven but the Israelites had to go out every morning and gather it. The walls of Jericho tumbled down but only after the Israelites marched around them. Naaman was healed of leprosy but only after he agreed to wash in the muddy Jordan River. God spared the Jews from annihilation but Esther first had to risk her life going before the king.

Jesus, God in flesh, often performed miracles with only a touch or word, but would at other times require action. He turned water into wine only after the servants filled the jars with water. He healed the 10 lepers only after they obediently started their walk away from Jesus and toward the temple to show themselves to the priest. He fed the multitudes but first asked the disciples to bring the loaves and fishes they had found in the crowd. The paralytic was healed as he was commanded to stand up and carry his bed. Jesus produced money to pay the temple taxes but first Peter had to go catch a fish and pull the money from  its mouth. The exhausted disciples who had fished all night, but caught nothing, were blessed with a boatload of fish only after they cast their nets one last time on the side of the boat Jesus commanded.

The writer Philip Yancey put it this way. “Although we may ask God to intervene directly, it should not surprise us if He responds in a more hidden way in cooperation with our own choices. An alcoholic prays, “Lord, keep me from drink today”. The answer to that prayer will likely come from the inside-from a stiffening resolve or a cry for help to a loyal friend-rather than from some marvel like the magical disappearance of liquor bottles from a cabinet.

Whether God supernaturally intervenes or is giving us the power to obey Him, we trust His character. we see a true partnership, intimate and intertwined. “

So never cease  praying and seeking God’s will. At the same time, be ready to spring into action in the direction He leads. He is faithful who has promised us.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6Matthew 5:6
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
6 God blesses those people who want to obey him s who want to obey him: Or “who want to do right” or “who want everyone to be treated right.” more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want!

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How will we be satisfied?

Can you imagine going all week, until Sunday, without eating a meal? You’d be tired, grumpy and lethargic without any food in your body, wouldn’t you? You’d have no energy and little interest in anything because you’d be deprived of the fuel it takes to operate in a healthy manner.

The same is true of us when we leave our Bibles, untouched, between church services. A week without the Word of God would be detrimental to our spiritual lives.  There would be no direction, but our own, and that usually ends us up in a place we don’t want to be. There would be no assurance of God’s love that is ours, and that would leave us feeling needy and alone. There would be no chastisement or reminder of sin that we could easily fall prey to when not listening to the Voice of God. Ignoring the Word could result in a disaster for us, spiritually speaking.

When we are malnourished, we are a sad bunch, a weak family of Christians. We haven’t much desire to serve because we have no energy or motivation to do so. What good, then, are we to the Lord?  Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Matthew 5:13Matthew 5:13
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Salt and Light ¹³ ; You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.

WP-Bible plugin)  Even if we have an idea of serving, how will we know what to do or how to do it the way He wants us to without His instruction?

We need to encourage one another to read the Word, faithfully and often. We need to be self-disciplined, setting a specific block of time for the studying of the Bible. Devouring the delectable tidbits from the banquet table that God sets before us will nourish our spiritual lives in ways we cannot imagine!  We will grow closer to Him, we will move in Him, we will serve Him, we will please Him!  A proper spiritual diet is one that incorporates prayer, studying the Word, and then carrying out what we have learned.  Praying, alone, won’t accomplish the work of God. Neither will reading His Word. We must put what we’ve learned into practice.  There is no sense knowing something without using the knowledge. All this may not come easily, but it is not always easy to do what is best for us or for the good of someone else.

Think of it this way, would we, if we were carpenters, go off to a job without the tools we’d need in our toolboxes? No, of course not. We’d accomplish little that day, having left our tools at home. The same is true of the Bible. Leaving it untouched, unread, does not prepare us for the work God wants to have done in the world around us. We have a kingdom to build for Him. Just as we cannot hammer a nail with our hand alone, we cannot build a kingdom without His blueprints and instruction.  Let’s remember to use the tools He has supplied us with for the job!

Let us each find a time each morning, when we may sit with Jesus in a quiet place. (”Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10Psalm 46:10
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
10 Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.”

WP-Bible plugin)  Unhurried, let’s spend time speaking with Him through prayer, listening to Him through the reading of the Bible.  Then we can go forth into the new day with a calm assurance that we are prepared to do the work He puts before us.

Today, we are going to just sit and turn our attention on God. He is worthy of that attention, no? His character and his works deserve our awe, our reverent fear, our love and devotion. So, I just want to offer Psalm 103 to you today. Take whatever time you have, read and maybe even reread, then pray over these words of praise and self-evaluation.

Thank God, whether you are in the midst of blessing or trial, from the depth of your being:

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!
Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Palm 103, NLT

So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

Colossians 1:9-10Colossians 1:9-10
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
The Person and Work of Christ ⁹ We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. ¹⁰ Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better.

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When we think about the call of Christ, we often focus on the cost first, and never move beyond that. We think of what we might be called to sacrifice. We imagine the extremes, and allow ourselves to get caught up in worries about what we might have to give up, what we might have to endure. Rather than loosening up our lives to be used by Christ, we hunker down and cling even more closely to the familiar. No matter how much or little we have – or even whether we are happy with who we are and the way we live our lives – when our tunnel-vision takes over, the call to discipleship is an imposing monument. All too often, we choose what we know over what is unknown.

The truly unfortunate thing here is that when we settle for life-as-we-know-it, we often realize we are missing the boat. The guilt we feel could be truth hitting us in the gut, telling us we have settled for less than God, less than the truth. But we build up defensive walls against this guilt. We offer excuses to assure ourselves that we are doing the right thing. We have children to take care of. We have aging parents. We have retirement to save for. We have debt. We are uncomfortable in new situations. We don’t have the right skills or training. We have never done that before, whatever that is. People might accuse us of being arrogant or “religious” if we stepped out into the unknown. And what if we messed up?

What would be different if instead of focusing on the cost (often imagined) first, we focused on what God could do, what God wants to do? What if we focused on what he was capable and willing to do, and only then looked at the the cost to make it reality?

Let’s start simple: God is not limited by our resources. He can provide what is needed for our families and for our community. He wants to! He is kind and loving. He knows that we have needs, having created us with those needs. But those needs were never meant to be an excuse for avoiding him. If we started from the premise that God will meet our needs as we follow him – wherever he leads – I think we would find more satisfaction and more joy.

God wants us to reach our friends, family and community, and is uniquely gifting us to do just that. We can see lives changed, marriages healed. We can see people respond to God. God will move in our midst! And while God never guarantees to “show up” according to our time-frame or expectations, we have every reason to have confidence that God is with us. We will not find true satisfaction unless we embrace God’s call for our lives!

He isn’t calling everyone to Africa. He isn’t calling everyone to be a pastor or teacher or to get a seminary degree. But we should question ourselves if we are comfortable with an “ordinary Christian” life. God wants us to experience him abundantly! And living in a Christian rut of endless book studies and worship services was never the point. These are not bad things – but they are just means to and end: a closer relationship with God; as Paul wrote, “to know God better and better”.

God’s call is not a guarantee of happiness or ease. But are we really all that “happy” seeking our own comfort? Is the world offering anything that is a fair trade for fulfilling our purpose and receiving the commendation of the God who created us? Think about how the time you spend serving someone in need could end in God receiving glory and even a soul in new and rich relationship with its God. What cost would keep you from vision like that?

Recently I have been reading a book called, “Primal” by Mark Batterson.  I received it after attending a one-day conference that he lead at Anderson University.  Mark is the senior pastor at National Community Church just outside of Washington, D.C.

The book has been insightful and enjoyable so far, a definite page-turner.  As I read books such as “Primal,” I often keep a notebook nearby so that I can jot down thoughts that come to me while reading, new concepts I want to research further, and action steps I’m feeling convicted to take as a result of my reading.  This morning’s sermon at The Mount reminded me of some notes I made recently on “Counterfactual History.”  That was a totally new concept to me when I read about it a couple weeks ago, and it intrigued me.  Basically, counterfactual theory is asking the question, “What if ” in contrast to something we already know has occurred.  For example, we could invoke counterfactual history by asking what our lives might be like if Henry Ford never invented the automobile?  How would the world change in the absence of that piece of history?  What if the Wright Brothers had not discovered the means to fly?  Would we still be relegated to crossing the ocean on a ship?  By the way, what if God hadn’t shown Noah how to build a boat? Wasn’t that the very first ocean liner?  The purpose of employing counterfactual theory is to gain a deeper appreciation for what really did happen and how history actually unfolded.

This morning, Allan posed the question, “What if God hadn’t intervened in Saul’s life and initiated his conversion?” (Acts 9:1-19Acts 9:1-19
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Saul Becomes a Follower of the Lord ^{9 1} Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest ² and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way. d accepted the Lord's Way: In the book of Acts, this means to become a follower of the Lord Jesus. ³ When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?” ⁵ “Who are you?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. ⁶ Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.” ⁷ The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, ⁹ and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink. ¹⁰ A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.” ¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, ¹² and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again.” ¹³ Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name.” ¹⁵ The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name.” ¹⁷ Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ Then he ate and felt much better. Saul Preaches in Damascus For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus.

WP-Bible plugin) How many more Christians would have been persecuted?  How many more would have been killed?  How would our lives be different if Saul had never become Paul?  (For one thing, we’d be missing about 13 books in the New Testament and a plethora of rich Scripture passages!!)  And what if Ananias hadn’t obeyed when God called him to seek out Saul of Tarsus at the house of Judas in Damascus on Straight Street so Saul’s sight could be restored? (vs. 13-17)  Saul was known for arresting and persecuting anyone who called upon God’s name.  What if Ananias’ fear outweighed his faith?  Can we even fathom how different our lives would be today if God hadn’t intervened, if Ananias hadn’t been obedient?

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of such stories throughout the Bible of how one person’s willingness to intervene and obey had a world changing impact!  Think of Noah’s righteousness and how he found favor with God.  He was the only man found worthy when God wiped out the rest of the human race in the flood.  What if Noah hadn’t lived righteously?  What if there was no one who survived the great deluge?  Quite possibly, I wouldn’t be typing this, and you wouldn’t be reading it!

The example that Mark Batterson uses in “Primal” to illustrate his point about Counterfactual History is the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis.  As you know, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers after they got ticked off at the way their father, Jacob, showed favoritism to Joseph.  In fact, they led Jacob to believe Joseph had been killed by wild animals when they dipped his precious robe of many colors in goat’s blood.  A domino effect was in motion that I’d like to recount for you using counterfactual theory:

1. What if Joseph had not been sold by his Israelite brothers into slavery in Egypt?
2. What if Joseph had never been thrown into prison while in Egypt?
3. What if, while in prison, Joseph hadn’t noticed the upset countenance of his fellow inmate, the cupbearer?
4. What if he hadn’t interpreted the cupbearer’s dream?  (The cupbearer would not have known Joseph could do that!)
5. And without that relational link, Joseph would have never been brought to Pharaoh to interpret his dream after the cupbearer was restored to his position upon release from prison. Joseph may have died in that dungeon had events unfolded differently.
6. What if Joseph had not been promoted to second highest in command in Egypt prior to the great famine?  He would not have been in a position to store up enough grain to sustain Egypt as well as surrounding areas that came to Egypt for food during the famine.
7. One of those surrounding areas from which people came was Canaan, where Joseph’s family was from, otherwise known as the nation of Israel.  What if Joseph’s family had not survived the famine?
8. One of Joseph’s brothers was Judah.  What if he had died during those seven lean years of famine?  He never would have gone on to father the lineage out of which a Child would be born in a little town called Bethlehem.  And then, the big “What if” question…
9. What if Jesus had never been born? Then, perhaps, the greatest act of compassion and intervention the world has ever known might never have occurred.

We can see and learn by this that one act of compassion, one act of intervention, one act of obedience really does make a difference on the world.  And we all have opportunities to show kindness, to intervene, and to obey God everyday, so that we may continue to impact and change the world for His glory.  What opportunity lies before you today that has the potential to ripple into eternity if you just yield and obey?  Whatever it is, I encourage us all to seize the moment, because I would never want someone to spend their eternity separated from God asking, “What if someone I knew had only shared Jesus with me?”