Divine Intervention?

Yesterday, all of my classes read the entry entitled The Hayride. (See Monday's post.)Their assignment was to share their beliefs on how the Lord works in our daily lives. Here are some of their thoughts and we will look at some more tomorrow.

"I don't think that God intervenes with everything we do, but I do think He presents situations to test us. It's up to you to make the most out of the opportunities that you've been given. He can't intervene with everything; it would be too much. We have to have a firm foundation and make our own decisions."
Dillon Thomas, grade 11

"I think that God intervenes more than we give him credit for. I believe that God knows everything, and nothing is too trivial for God. On Sunday, the sermon was on prayer and trusting God, focusing on the "what" and not the "how.'' Sunday night, I went to a pretty rowdy concert, and at one point, I got pushed a few feet. After recovering, I checked my hands and I had lost my ring. It was early in the concert and I figured it was gone or flattened. During the concert, I thought about the sermon and prayed, even feeling bad about having fun while praying for my ring. After the concert I looked around, seeing people also picking up things. I asked a couple of people and finally someone overheard me and found my ring. I won't ever wear my ring to a concert again, but I will always remember what God did for me, even if it was something as trivial as a ring."
Jeanie Sandefer, grade 11

"God is constantly in our lives, because we are not all knowing. We don't know what to ask for, but God is what we need. God answers every prayer, but He answers in the 100% right way. The way we handle His answer is up to us."
Remington James, grade 10

"I think God is working as a big picture. This is because everyone's needs are different. Sometimes, this person's need may be contrary to the other person. For example, someone might not want rain because he wants to go fishing. But another person wants rain because fishing is not necessary, but crops need water to grow."
Ying Zeng, grade 12

"I think God is highly influential in our daily lives, not so much that He distracts actions or defines what we do, but that he provides opportunities both large and small for us to decide how we live our lives and choose to react to situations after temptations."
Chris Milner, grade 12

"I think that God intervenes in our lives when we need guidance or help. The little things in life are like little lessons to be learned. Sometimes God thinks we need to go through things so we can be stronger and even if it is a mistake, we can learn from it. When God said always pray, I guess he wants you to have comfort feeling in the knowledge He is always here for you."
Alexis Auerbach, grade 8

"I think God does work in little situations, but I don't think that God works through every little situation in our lives. God gave us free will in our lives so that we can make decisions and deal with struggles. He does have a plan for our lives, but it is our duty, not His, to follow the plan He set out for us. He wants us to go through life, enduring tests and overcoming temptations, so that we will grow closer to Him.Tyler Tolopka, grade 10

"I think God influences my life a lot. Every time I walk or speak, God is always with me. Every step I take, there is God. He protects me everyday and every second. Whenever I do something wrong, God punishes me. Whenever I pray, He listens to me. I know this for sure."
Yoon Kim, grade

"I believe God watches all of His children, but as far as intervening with our lives and determining our next step for us, that is false in my opinion. I believe we do have the free will to do anything we desire; God just spectates and sees how and where we turn up at the end of our lives. Perhaps He may throw a couple of bones out there for us, some of them could even change our lives, but in the end, it is up to us to determine the direction our life is headed."
Evan Breen, grade 12

"I believe God intervenes in what He sees fit. If people ask Him for something, or for something to happen, He may or may not do it, depending on what His plan is. I don't think it matters if it is big or small; it matters what He wants to happen in the end. He only intervenes as much or as little as needed in order to make the outcome of the person's life turn out the way it should. Basically, in my opinion, I think God intervenes when necessary."
Danielle Hamrick, grade 10

"God is our father. I think in the beginning, He is there for us, but as we grow, we are more on our own. I am not saying God isn't there for us, but sometimes we need to think and help ourselves. God raises us so we can be strong and independent. He will be there to comfort us. I think if God doesn't answer a prayer, it's not because He doesn't care but that He's teaching us a lesson. If we prayed for something bad, we should not expect it to come true and we can't get everything we pray for. If God doesn't answer a prayer, we should keep trying because the next time might be the right time for the prayer to be answered."
Hanna McAdams, grade 12

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com