Then as the water started rising a four wheel drive truck went through the neighborhood with a loud speaker warning all residents that the water would soon be in their area and they needed to evacuate. The man confidently prayed and asked God to take care of him, he prayed and went about his business. As the water increased it started surrounding his house and all automobile evacuation was out of the question. Then luckily a boat rescue team went by his house to make sure everyone was evacuated and he told them that he was fine, that his God was going to rescue him, once more he prayed, "Lord, please save me". The team argued, pleaded and tried to convince him to leave with them, but he refused, waiting for God to rescue him.
As the water continued to rise and creep up over his porch and into his house, the man climbed onto the top of his house and was even then faced with one more attempt by a rescue team in a helicopter. But the man in his stubbornness claimed again that he was waiting for God to save him.
As the darkness of night fell on the man and he found himself stranded on top of his house with nothing but water circling around it, in desperation he cried out to God, "Why haven't You saved me?!". God spoke to the man and said "Each time you prayed I sent someone to help you".
How often are we like that man? People in the world want to see God's hand moving, and they have but they don't recognize it. God's hand has moved ever since the beginning of the world.
- He created the world! Yes, it wasn't by hand, but by word, but still, it was His accomplishment! We see the glory of Him in His creation, Each day we are able to see His glory in the heavens as the sun rises and sets, or even as the stars twinkle out at night. In His creation, if we have eyes that see, His glory shines forth.
- He has been with His people ever since and even created a written document of His ongoing presence and relationship with people(in the Bible), He discloses His characteristics, man's characteristics and how we should relate to Him.
- He put an emptiness in our hearts to seek Him, kind of like "ET phone home". Man from the beginning of time has sought a higher power beyond himself. Throughout the world man has tried to find meaning and purpose to their lives, understanding that there is more to this life than just living and dying.
- Other people witness of His miracles and deeds in their lives. Great healings, provisions, dreams, visions, words. Many people share of the things God does in their lives, and yes, He chooses to respond differently in different lives. We can't expect to have exact duplications of other peoples experiences, we should just look to how God wants to respond to us.
My main point here is that we are not in a position to tell God how to respond to our prayers. He is the creator, we are the creation! Should we pridefully require that our prayers be answered in the way we specify? If He responds by sending someone to help us, shouldn't we happily accept that answer to prayer? Or if He has reached out to us through His word, shouldn't we be studying it to hear His voice in our lives? Shouldn't we find a leader that can teach and speak God's word into our lives? We don't want to be like the man sitting on top of his house, with danger swirling around and refusing the help that our heavenly Father has sent to us throughout our days. Beloved, let's open our spiritual hearts, look around, recognize and take hold of the answers to our prayers that He has already loving sent into our lives. Read your bible, study it.....find a good Pastor and Teacher and support them with your respect and attendance.....don't wait for a great, heavenly hand to reach down and scoop you off of your roof.......He has already provided so much for you, grab hold, recognize and appreciate it!
~L. K. Mercer
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