Hear and Act

Texts:
- Psalms 105-108
- Luke 17-18
- John 1:15-51
- Matthew 4
- Luke 4-5
- John 2-4

Lord God, as we sat around last night, weighing big questions in our hearts and examining them through the lens of Scripture, an idea really began to emerge to me. An idea of salvation, a life lived in salvation, a life lived to bring salvation. But it is so big, like all good things coming from You, it is so vast that it is difficult for me to even wrap my arms around it. And now that I've begun thinking about it, I am seeing it in many places throughout Scripture.

The real pattern seems to be that You deliver us, place us into a community of health and truth, and at this point we "know that You are God." We know because we see that You know us. You have heard our individual cries and have acted accordingly. I look all across my life and see the number of times that You have heard and acted and it makes me stop and praise.

- I remember very vividly when I cried out to You in college regarding Courtney. She had broken up with me and I was devastated and lonely. Besides just crying out in pain, my final cry or request was that You would simply be the most important thing in my life, and under that structure that You could bring me out of my loneliness. The day I made that concession Courtney was on the phone with me, getting back together under this new priority set, and You had delivered me.

- I remember how You've acted and are acting in the lives of others, as I have been crying out for them. My uncle, my grandfather, my brother, my sister, my wife (and that is an amazing, recent story), and so many others.

Lord, You hear and act. They go together. They make up the root of knowledge. For me to truly know You I must hear and act. It is the proper response to all You have done for me. So let it be so today.

May I act in a way that lives out all I have heard through Your word. May You be an ever-present light showing me my vast wealth of opportunities. Blessed are You, Lord God of action, moving in response to our prayerful words. May we move in response to Your eternal word and the stirrings of Your Spirit within us. Amen.