The One With Experience Is Never At The Mercy Of The One With Theory

This morning I awoke to an absolutely flawless midsummer day in Chicago. My family and I are enjoying a few days away together, and my day began with devotions on the balcony in the midst of a beautiful sunrise. As I pondered the promises of God I had just read in scripture, the strong sense to call a missionary friend that serves a half a world away gripped me. A quick calculation of time zones convinced me that it was not too late to call, so I searched for the number and rang his phone.

God's Word reminds us that "The righteous shall live by faith." If this biblical principle is true (which I am completely convinced it is) then our missionaries are profoundly righteous. The thought of leaving family and familiar for the sole purpose of sharing the reality of Christ to a foreign culture is amazing. When one adds to the equation that the missionary makes this journey based on the faith that friends will be led by God to financially partner with them makes this proposition all the more remarkable. The reality that so many of our missionaries are in politically volatile environments with our economy presently in a tumultuous state magnifies the faith journey.

I am convinced the perpetual position of faith that our missionaries place themselves in is the fuel for the miraculous, and is the major factor in why they see God "show up" on a much more regular basis than the typical Christ follower.

My morning phone call from Chicago found a missionary who was at that moment on another phone line talking with a mutual friend. He was soliciting prayer, asking the friend to pray for God to send someone his way to help with a crisis need. My friend has experienced this scenario countless times, yet was still amazed at the profound timeliness of God.... and God's people when we are obedient.

There are some that would discount scenarios such as this as mere coincidence, as would I if they were a rare occurrence. Yet, for those who place themselves squarely in the middle of a faith journey, dependent upon God's provision through "supernatural coincidence" the reality of God's response to faith is clear. The experience of God making the impossible possible and consistently meeting the need through truly remarkable means offers up a faith building reminder that God is in the midst of our situations and always has our answer if we simply look to Him.

The life that God has called each us to is one of wonderful adventure, divine opportunity, and miracle moments if we simply choose to respond to His leading and place ourselves in a position of faith. Far too often we are content living a life where we merely theorize about faith, debating the depths of God's involvement and privately wondering if the stories are true. Be encouraged today, God is still in the miracle working business. If you need further proof, pick up the phone or send an email to one of our missionaries.... just don't be surprised when God places you right in the middle of their miracle!