Practical

Each day holds its own challenges. This morning I was reading Luke, Chapter 1. Zechariah was told by an angel that he and Elizabeth would have a son and he was to name him John (John the Baptist). He and Elizabeth were old and never had any children so Zechariah laughed. The same reaction that Sara (Abraham’s wife) had when the angel appeared to her with the same news. They both were kind of saying, “Yah, whatever God”.
Our God is not a God of practicality. If the way God interacts with us was always practical, in our minds, why would we need him? All we would need to do is the practical thing. The most practical would be the wisest and the one to look to for guidance. Wait, that’s what the world does. Fortunately for us, His ways are beyond our understanding, Job 37:5 “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding”, Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” and when He acts in ways we think are totally impractical, He reveals His power and authority.


How foolish we are when we try to tell God how He should react. In fact, when we do that and then insist that God must do it our way we are taking God’s place and making ourselves god. That’s idolatry. It says in scripture that, “God uses the foolish things to confound the wise” 1 Cor. 1:27. We are so arrogant when we say to God, “you didn’t answer my prayer, when in reality what we are saying is God you didn’t answer my prayer the way I think He should have”.

It’s when we grow impatient or think we have a better way that we get jammed up. And if we follow our own way for a long time, it can be very difficult to find our way back. That’s why God gave us each other – to lead each other back to where we need to be. 2 Corinthians 5:18 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” James 5:19-20 “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” Lord knows, I have a multitude to cover.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart (not part of your heart), and lean not on your own understanding; (your understanding – practicality, = no understanding) in all your ways acknowledge Him, (how He deals with you) and He (not you) will direct your paths.


The pressures off. It’s God not you and your practicality. Crucify practicality and listen to God.