How God Responds

We all like to talk. Sometimes we talk to much and listen very little. I find those cell phone commercials where the tweener girl is talking for thousands of minutes non-stop both humorous and frightening as I consider my own child and how much she likes to talk already. Finding the balance between speaking and listening can be tricky. If I speak to much then I never listen and know if what I am saying is being received. If I listen and never contribute then it could be misinterpreted as uncaring.

Giving and receiving is the basis for good communication. Without both you simply have extended monologues. God desires to communicate with each of us. Jesus tells us that we should keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. I could spend pages trying to decipher all the meanings and parsings of these words. I could hours putting together good hermeneutics. An interesting things keeps popping up in my mind. If effective communication requires both parties to be involved and I am supposed to continue to ask, seek, and knock, then when and how does God respond?

Recently there has been much discussion concerning the church and her viability. We are in desperate need of a movement of God. Almost instantly I was inspired to read Acts. As I began looking at it again from this perspective I noticed a pattern. The people kept pressing God in prayer, but in a humble fashion, and God began to respond in dramatic fashion. As I read I noticed 10 ways that God responded to the early church. It was not that God responded 10 times but in ten unique ways. God heard the people and responded to the situation in a unique and wonderful way.

1. Wisdom
2. Direction
3. Ability to Choose
4. Power
5. Transformation
6. Salvation
7. Presence
8. Shared Ministry
9. Leadership
10. Rescue

Impressive. The God of the universe hears us and responds. Are you asking, seeking, and knocking? Maybe you should start. We'll look at the first one next time.