Bits of Heaven. Russell J. Levenson Jr.
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10
“Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”
—Genesis 18:14a
What is our Lord calling you to do?
In the early 1980s, long before it was one of the hottest vacation spots in Mexico, my wife and I chose Cancun as our honeymoon destination. One day, one of us had the bright idea that we would take a bicycle built for two, also known as a tandem bike, on what we thought would be a short journey on the outskirts of town to some unearthed Mayan ruins known as Las Ruinas del Rey (The Ruins of the King). Outskirts, we found, ended up being several miles from our hotel. We considered abandoning the idea several times—especially as the road got rough, after we took a wrong turn or two, and the sun began to beat down. But of course, there’s one thing about a tandem bike—it takes two to make the trip!
The little verse from Genesis is nestled into a much larger story.13 In the last few meditations, we have been considering God’s relationship with Abraham, which was, in part, focused on his desire to have a child. In this scene, the promise is now about to be realized as three angels visit Abraham and tell him that even in their old age, the ancient patriarch and his wife, Sarah, will soon conceive a child.
This is not the first or last time we see God and humans working together. God, of course, can work on his own, but God chooses to work in tandem with his children. Think of Noah building the Ark, Moses and the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea, David standing up to Goliath, Mary conceiving the child Jesus, Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, and so on. God could have worked any of these great biblical sagas without a partner, but instead chose to work not as One alone, but as two.
What a bold thing to think upon . . . a humbling thing . . . to come to believe that for a reason of God’s own choosing, you have been singled out to do a work of God’s own design. It may be something beyond your imagination, or it may be as simple as picking up the phone to call a lonely neighbor. Whatever it is, if God is inviting you to a divine partnership, it is significant in his eyes.
My new bride and I did make it to those Mayan ruins, and in doing so we forged a memory that will last a lifetime. It took both of us working together to get there, and to get back. It was of little importance to anyone else, but of great importance to the two of us. When you get down to it, there are a lot of things we cannot do on our own; sometimes we need someone along for the ride, and perhaps that other needs us as well.
The same seems to be true of a God who often works alone, but who also allows for the truth that sometimes it takes two. As Abraham learned, sometimes we need a partner. Nothing is too hard for God to accomplish. And when He is our partner, the sky’s the limit.
What thing may God be calling you to do today? Notice there is a difference between something you want to do and something God may be calling you to do. Think on that a bit . . . pray on it . . . what, if anything, is stopping you?
A Prayer
God of all good things,
Quiet the voices competing for Yours alone;
Still the wanderings of my mind,
My heart,
My soul,
And in that silent place You create,
Let me receive Your invitation, and
With a mingling of my humility and Your boldness,
Ever walk and serve
Within Your perfect will.
Amen.
13 If you have the time, read Genesis 18:1–15.
Meditation 11
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread.
—Psalm 1:1a
Are you on the right path?
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