I Assumed...

The old saying goes, "You know what happens when you assume, right?" I won't fill in the rest, but if you are the "assume-r" let's just say you don't come out as the hero in the end.Assumptions are an interesting part of life - we all live and base decisions on assumptions.

We assume the car will start when we get in it and turn the key, and so we decide to leave the house a little late.

We assume our spouses are trustworthy and as invested in our good as we are in theirs, so we open ourselves up to them completely.

We assume that we'll be here tomorrow or the next day, healthy and with all of our faculties, so we put off those big events and decisions to a later time.

There is even a level at which we assume God will be there for us. We assume God's presence, goodness, forgiveness and grace.

Today, I'm meditating on whether or not that's a good thing. Is it right to assume God?

Is assuming God's activity and action the same thing as "faith" - believing what we cannot see but what we hope for?

David talks about meditating on the law of God every day (Ps. 1:2) and there are sentiments throughout the Bible about our need to constantly place our thoughts and desires and meditations on the God, His Son, and His Spirit and the work of truth that they are crafting like fine pottery within our souls.

Is assumption the enemy of that deep and lasting cool spring of water that comes from bringing our thoughts around to God? Or is that the heart of faith?

If I move to forgive someone, do I stop to consider that God will actually be present in that act and give me the strength to do it?

If I give expecting nothing in return, do I stop to think on the generous God who'll fill my need in the absence of my own generosity in His name?

Could it be that the one thing that is keeping us from being formed into the image of Christ is our assumption of Him and His empowering actions in this world?

Father, help me never to assume you but to give time to intentionally thinking on what you're actually doing in the moments of grace and goodness, trial and travesty, beauty and majesty that happen nearly every 60 seconds of my life.