Unseen Hands

I was flicking through the channels and came to a show that was built around tours of movie and music stars homes. I turned to another channel that had a show all about “The Fabulous Life of…” Both shows focused on what things so-called rich people bought, what cars they drive and what famous designers they wear. Yet, one commonality is that in all my channel surfing, it was rare to find a show that discussed the hard work, sacrifice, or large amount of faith behind these people’s success. Sure, as a young 20 something, I like just as much as the next to go to the mall and window shop, but I refuse to spend my hard earned money on anything that will not have some kind of long term benefit nor do I refuse to overindulge in worldly riches knowing that it will not help me once I pass over. Psalms 37:4 reminds us to “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” If you possess a humble and thankful heart, then you be long rewarded.
A lot of my friends are focused on financial gain and I’m not one to judge, but you can’t take any of it with you. True abundance is a stock hold of faith in Christ. He was true in His words when he said it is easier to squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy man to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25). Why? Because, on average, when a person is so-called ‘rich,’ they feel the spiritual work is done and they don’t need to pray as much as the poor man. Why not pray both in times of poverty and in times of fruitfulness? As easy as the wealth and dream came true, it can become a living nightmare. How easy is it to praise God in times of abundance and plead to Him in times of strife? How difficult is it to praise God in times of strife and yet still easy but rarely done is it to plead to Him in times of abundance?
Once most reach that point of fruitfulness, they gain the attitude that “I did it, I made it.” With that thinking, we easily forget that it is through Him that all things are possible, nothing happens without His permission or will.
A lot of people like to credit science with just about everything that cannot be explained off hand. Instead of attempting to reason, people like to just slap the science Band-Aid on it and call it a day. A few days ago, when the snow first hit the area I live in, my brother was driving home when his car began to slide into opposing traffic. Cars were coming fast in the opposite direction and an SUV was nearly upon him. However, my brother said a quiet prayer to himself and when he opened his eyes, his car was out of the path of the other vehicles and the way was clear for him to make his turn and park. The average person would hear this story and think the street became clear because the other cars just went around him. Okay, but his car slid off on an angle so that half the front was in the other lane. Him having not turned the wheel, how did his car become straight? Still, the critical would like to find some scientific way to explain not only the incident with my brother but practically everything in this world. I’m not by any means saying we should toss out all that science has brought us. To me, science is a toy that God gave man to keep his mind from being idle. For, “by idleness of the hands, the house dropped through” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). I say this not only as a Christian but also as one who holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering, meaning the so-called ‘miracles’ of science have been practically spoon-fed to me from the moment I could pick up a pencil. Sir Isaac Newton gets clunked a good one in the head by an apple and ‘THWACK!’ we have gravity. Yet who placed the tree there and the fruit on the tree? At least this time, the apple and curiosity didn’t get humanity in trouble, eh?
So what are today’s miracles? In the time of Exodus, the Red Sea was parted for the safe passage of the Jews. In the days of Noah, a man’s hands were gifted with the skill to build an ark that could carry two of every animal. Well, after 911 we as Americans came together and here it is, years later if you look where the towers were at night it looks as though they still stand tall. We as a planet came together in lieu of the tsunami tragedy. Humanity’s basic ability to band together in times of tragedy is a miracle within itself. Then there are everyday miracles such as the large population that volunteers their time to positive humane efforts such as fireman, servicemen, and police officers. Those, my friends, are common miracles of God. From the teen who chooses to teach others to read to the 20 something who picks up a book instead of a gun, God’s hands are constantly at work in our lives. “Know this, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19). Do not live for money, that’s greed. Why live for something that thieves can take from you after death? Do not live for lust, the true root of all evil is man’s lust for money. Think about it, under the barter system, dollars were just little green pieces of paper.
Live for love, live to inspire, live to encourage, live to walk in the way of God and live the teachings of Christ. In all things, be humble, stay positive, and just live.

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