OK, right off the bat the title to this piece is totally miss leading and so I ask for your complete forgiveness. I wanted to start out with a cute pet story and transition into the easy, non controversial subject of Divine Intervention verses Freewill. Zeus is my daughter's cat who came into our family as an Internet gift from one of our dearest neighbors. Sue, my neighbor, raises them and sells them in upwards of $ 500.00 dollars per kitten depending on color and personality traits. I'm also told our cat is referred to as a "Snowshoe" or "Rag doll" cat because the breed can be held in various positions and becomes completely lifeless and docile in it's owner's arms.
So the reason I brought up my daughter's cat in the first place is in her naming of it, she ended up naming him "Zeus". Now I'm no expert on the Christian theology or Greek mythology but the name "Zeus" seemed a bit sacrilegious to a God fearing household. I am amazed at how life's little quarks seem to always turn out for the best. Here as Zeus begins to settle into our home he seems to have the ability to disappear from our view and stay hidden for extended periods of time. My wife being the smarter of the two of us bought a little bell for his collar so now its Christmas time in our house all year round. The funny thing is this...When you call the cat by saying his name it becomes "Hey Zeus" or "Jesus" in the Spanish language. I'm calling out to Jesus every time I call our cat. So God gets the glory in the end not Zeus.
Divine Intervention verses Freewill. So is it possible for God's divine intervention and man's freewill to work together or even exist in the same universe? Think about it for a moment before responding to my question. We have been taught through out the scriptures that we ought to pray without ceasing and to make our requests known to God but is God free to intervene in our own freewill?
The very first book of Jewish and Christendom's scriptural foundation is "Genesis". In the third chapter of this book we are invited to witness the fall of the very first man and woman in the garden that was planted east of Eden. God wanting to prove a point sets up a test for Adam and Eve to show them the true nature or intentions of their own hearts. Remember God exists out side of our time dimension so He sees the beginning as well as the end at the same time or actually from a vantage point in a space that we don't fully yet understand. God knew before hand what choice our dynamic dual would make and actually designed His plan for salvation before the universe was even created. Jesus is our salvation or our Emmanuel.
So how does freewill work? I choose to get up (or not to) in the morning when the sun rises by taking off the covers and putting my feet on the floor. I choose to brush my teeth (hopefully), eat breakfast and then lovingly drive out (never) on our efficient, modern freeway system to my work place. I make great use of my time at work producing a large profit for my company (not likely) only to return home to start the cycle all over again. However, I don't have to think about my heart to keep it beating. Every time I reach for my pencil I don't have to tell everyone of my nerve endings when to fire an impulse. When lifting my water bottle to my lips and taking a drink I don't have to consciously think about swallowing.
So what about all those bible stories where God's people call on His name and He answers with an act of divine intervention. The Red Sea crossing, the desert years in the wilderness, endless victories on the battlefield for example is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to divine intervention. All of us can look at our own lives when we have witness the invisible hand of God move in our lives. (If you are reading this and God has touched you with a miracle, please leave a comment below telling us about what happened) You see there really is an invisible spiritual spectrum out there existing in between our world and the next. The veil between the two dimensions thins a bit at different times and places allowing us to get a non direct inference of our invisible messenger's missions. Jesus said the influence of the Holy Spirit is like the wind as it rushes through the leaves of a tree.
As I go through my day and fall into a slump, pit or quandary as a Christian I should call out for help. Sometimes my request is heard and sometimes it is not or just not answered at the particular moment. What about the times when my hand reaches out for the bottle and not the hand of my Lord? Is God standing right next to me to stop my hand as I attempt to numb my pain? Is God really our spiritual nanny who ends up running around picking up all the mess we make in our lives? Every tragedy, where children are involved, is God there and could He stop it if He wanted to? Is He free to stop it or even help them out a little on this side of eternity? Our movies are full of this kind of content, "It's a Wonderful Life" is one we are all familiar with.
When discussing this subject with others its wise not to go back to ancient history, to old arguments about what our church father's thought. It has no bearing on today's reality of what God has allowed us to unravel through science discoveries. The truth is we do have our own freewill that God respects enough to allow us to fumble along through life in a non ending battle if we so choose to do so. Divine intervention also exists and when we ask God for specific help He is then free to help us if He so chooses to do so. Jesus told us in my paraphrased version "you have not because you have asked not". The line between the two separate worlds gets blurry on occasion but the veil does exist. Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened to you.
When we choose to do the right things in life those acts put a smile on our Lord's face. When you love someone you want to do nice, loving and pleasant things for them. What a huge concept for us that we by our own freewill would choose to be obedient! To obey is better than sacrifice. Walking with and in the Holy Spirit is a moment by moment commitment where we choose to be obedient to God's plan. Divine intervention is always available to us if only we choose to ask for it! Your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask for it.If you haven't yet discovered this truth about prayer, it is really for us to remember who God is and how He wants to be part of our lives. We tend to do allot of begging and whining.
So the reason I brought up my daughter's cat in the first place is in her naming of it, she ended up naming him "Zeus". Now I'm no expert on the Christian theology or Greek mythology but the name "Zeus" seemed a bit sacrilegious to a God fearing household. I am amazed at how life's little quarks seem to always turn out for the best. Here as Zeus begins to settle into our home he seems to have the ability to disappear from our view and stay hidden for extended periods of time. My wife being the smarter of the two of us bought a little bell for his collar so now its Christmas time in our house all year round. The funny thing is this...When you call the cat by saying his name it becomes "Hey Zeus" or "Jesus" in the Spanish language. I'm calling out to Jesus every time I call our cat. So God gets the glory in the end not Zeus.
Divine Intervention verses Freewill. So is it possible for God's divine intervention and man's freewill to work together or even exist in the same universe? Think about it for a moment before responding to my question. We have been taught through out the scriptures that we ought to pray without ceasing and to make our requests known to God but is God free to intervene in our own freewill?
The very first book of Jewish and Christendom's scriptural foundation is "Genesis". In the third chapter of this book we are invited to witness the fall of the very first man and woman in the garden that was planted east of Eden. God wanting to prove a point sets up a test for Adam and Eve to show them the true nature or intentions of their own hearts. Remember God exists out side of our time dimension so He sees the beginning as well as the end at the same time or actually from a vantage point in a space that we don't fully yet understand. God knew before hand what choice our dynamic dual would make and actually designed His plan for salvation before the universe was even created. Jesus is our salvation or our Emmanuel.
So how does freewill work? I choose to get up (or not to) in the morning when the sun rises by taking off the covers and putting my feet on the floor. I choose to brush my teeth (hopefully), eat breakfast and then lovingly drive out (never) on our efficient, modern freeway system to my work place. I make great use of my time at work producing a large profit for my company (not likely) only to return home to start the cycle all over again. However, I don't have to think about my heart to keep it beating. Every time I reach for my pencil I don't have to tell everyone of my nerve endings when to fire an impulse. When lifting my water bottle to my lips and taking a drink I don't have to consciously think about swallowing.
So what about all those bible stories where God's people call on His name and He answers with an act of divine intervention. The Red Sea crossing, the desert years in the wilderness, endless victories on the battlefield for example is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to divine intervention. All of us can look at our own lives when we have witness the invisible hand of God move in our lives. (If you are reading this and God has touched you with a miracle, please leave a comment below telling us about what happened) You see there really is an invisible spiritual spectrum out there existing in between our world and the next. The veil between the two dimensions thins a bit at different times and places allowing us to get a non direct inference of our invisible messenger's missions. Jesus said the influence of the Holy Spirit is like the wind as it rushes through the leaves of a tree.
As I go through my day and fall into a slump, pit or quandary as a Christian I should call out for help. Sometimes my request is heard and sometimes it is not or just not answered at the particular moment. What about the times when my hand reaches out for the bottle and not the hand of my Lord? Is God standing right next to me to stop my hand as I attempt to numb my pain? Is God really our spiritual nanny who ends up running around picking up all the mess we make in our lives? Every tragedy, where children are involved, is God there and could He stop it if He wanted to? Is He free to stop it or even help them out a little on this side of eternity? Our movies are full of this kind of content, "It's a Wonderful Life" is one we are all familiar with.
When discussing this subject with others its wise not to go back to ancient history, to old arguments about what our church father's thought. It has no bearing on today's reality of what God has allowed us to unravel through science discoveries. The truth is we do have our own freewill that God respects enough to allow us to fumble along through life in a non ending battle if we so choose to do so. Divine intervention also exists and when we ask God for specific help He is then free to help us if He so chooses to do so. Jesus told us in my paraphrased version "you have not because you have asked not". The line between the two separate worlds gets blurry on occasion but the veil does exist. Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened to you.
When we choose to do the right things in life those acts put a smile on our Lord's face. When you love someone you want to do nice, loving and pleasant things for them. What a huge concept for us that we by our own freewill would choose to be obedient! To obey is better than sacrifice. Walking with and in the Holy Spirit is a moment by moment commitment where we choose to be obedient to God's plan. Divine intervention is always available to us if only we choose to ask for it! Your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask for it.If you haven't yet discovered this truth about prayer, it is really for us to remember who God is and how He wants to be part of our lives. We tend to do allot of begging and whining.
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