I often think about the absurdity of my faith. I am praying to a God that I cannot see and one that I often don't treat as if He actually exists.
Here are a few quotes from a book I'm studying called, "The Existence and Attributes of God" by Stephen Charnock (c. 17th cent.).
"Truth: no man is exempt from some form of atheism
whether it be in belief or in action due to the deprivation of his person. Cf.
Rom. 3:12 (good) and 18 (fear)."
"The apostles spent little
time in urging this truth [the existence of God], it was taken for granted all over the world, and
they were generally devout in the worship of those idols they thought to be
gods; that age ran from one God to many, and our age is running from one God to none."
I say this to my shame because my Father showed me that a simple
prayer request could be answered in the most divine way. My faith
was strengthened this week and I hope by reading this, yours will be
as well.
It started with a simple prayer request as I was doing my
devotions this past Tuesday morning. "Lord, let me have a divine
encounter with someone today."
We were flying out of Midway in Chicago, heading home to
Portland, and I just wanted God to show up. Perhaps your like me
and like God high and lifted up, transcendent rather than imminent.
In other worlds, I want a big God not a "Bud" God. But sometimes
its just nice to know that He still has his eye on the sparrow and he
watches over me. (I should probably put that down in song).
Anyway, our flight was cancelled and rescheduled and what was to
be a romantic flight home, husband and wife locked into a small
space for 5 hours with 250 of our closest friends became love at a
distance as Deb found herself 10 rows back. The ticket agent was
able to move her one row ahead of me by the window and we
figured we could still hold hands and glance back lovingly from that
distance. But undeterred I asked the guy sitting next to her if he
could swap places with me so that I could sit next to my bride. He
gladly obliged.
Here's where things get interesting. The flight was completely full
except for the seat next to me and I though how wonderful it would
be to have the stretching space but God was about to answer my
prayer in the most heart provoking way. Into the plane comes a
man in his 50's in a wheelchair being pushed down by the flight
attendants. And yes, he is going to sit right next to me.
Now I sinfully pride myself on being a godly man but I was thinking
"No Lord, not here. Not on the aisle.We will be stuck here for 3
hours with no bathroom breaks and...well...he's clearly had a stroke
and...he's in sweat pants and...I've already had to help them get him
seated. This is going to be a long and awkward ride."
I am so stupid and blind. (Please, no Amens) We began to talk and
he told me that he had come to know Jesus while he was in the Air
Force in thee most incredible way. He spoke of how God again
grabbed a hold of his heart while in Iceland and it was there that He
committed to being a fully devoted follower of Jesus. He asked if
we could pray together, to pray for his health, to pray for broken
relationships. He prayed for Deb and me. I guess God had to get me
to 36,000 feet to remind me that He is still a God who hears
prayers.
The weird thing was that he was slated to sit in row 26 initially -the
same row that Deb was initially to sit. So God, in his divine
sovereignty, moved Deb, moved me, and moved Curtis, so that we
would all be in the same row, and to give me something "simple" - a
divine encounter.
I'm pretty sure Curtis wasn't an angel (I think) but he sure was an
answer to prayer. And more importantly, he reminded me that there
is nothing to small for my big God. My God answers prayer. Let's
not wait until we are 36,000 feet above the earth to be reminded of
such a wonderful truth.
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