Stretch Out Your Hand~

My trusty calendar informs me that today is the 78th day of the year; only 287 more to go. Time flies :)


We have been looking at how it's ok to pray for success, how we should provide God with a specific target, how God is a God Who says yes, how we need to be willing to pray because no one else might be doing it, how we shouldn't worry because God has us covered, BUT, there is still more to it.

Pastor Bill says, "Responsibility is our response to God's ability."

And when you read the Bible you will see that all throughout its magnificent pages that God works WITH us most of the time. Yes, He is a God of miracles and can do what He wants when He wants, but He has set it up so that life is a combination of our natural ability helped mightily along with His supernatural ability.

For example:

Abraham wanted a wife or his son. But he did not ask God to materialize a woman out of thin air. Abraham's servant picked himself up and physically went to look for the right young lady. That is where the prayer for success came in.

Think back to Bible story after Bible story and you will always see that we humans all have a role to play.

Yes, David killed Goliath, but he grabbed a stone, centered it in a slingshot, pulled back, and BAM! God could have sent a poisonous vapor to kill the giant, but He did not.

Yes, God parted the Red Sea, which is AMAZING, but not until Moses stretched out his hand over the sea first. (Exodus 14:16)

How does this translate into our lives?

A few years ago when Rayray started college she was unsure what to major in. She was not one of those who knew from the age of one that they wanted to be an astronaut. But each step of the way we faithfully prayed for God to lead her to something she would be passionate about and enjoy. Twists, turns, and fear of blood aside, Rayray has firmly settled on a degree of higher learning where she can merge two passions: children and therapy. God very faithfully led her as she took steps of faith by enrolling in this course or that course and eventually a clear picture emerged. It is going to require a Master's Degree, but she is happy to do the work because she feels she has purpose.

Imagine if we would have asked God for success for Rayray's career choice and then sat back all day watching cooking shows and painting our nails? Not in God's universe.

We must all "stretch out our hand," as it were. Take a step of faith today and trust God to lead you. If someone you love is not making an effort for themselves, remember that you have volunteered to pray for them. (Check out last Thursday's DEVO).

PRAYER:
Dear Lord,
No matter where we are in our journey, we know that you expect us to take the first step, and You will lead the way. Prayer is always the best first step as long as we follow it up with movement.  Help us and those we love move in the right direction. In Jesus' name, AMEN~