Must

“and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  Acts 16:30

Must – It’s worth repeating.  Dei, the Greek word for the necessary character of God’s will, is a pivotal word for living.  The jailer knew it.  “What is necessary for me?” is his cry.  Put aside all the clutter, the confusion, the concern for everyday issues.  What is really necessary?  What must I do to be found within the will of God? 

Hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, disasters.  Suddenly the really necessary things of life take center stage.  There is so much that doesn’t really matter when the wind is tearing away the roof of your home and transformers are lighting up the night sky like fireworks.  Life boils down to the essentials.  Those of us who live in the select world of American abundance lose perspective so easily.  Until a hurricane comes knocking.  Then we are propelled into what it is like for most of the rest of our world.  No power.  No phones.  No refrigeration.  No transportation.  No conveniences.  No water.  It’s a view of life’s necessities in capital letters. 

Do you suppose that God wants us to stay asleep to our complacent existence?  Or do you think that God is interested in the crystalline concentration that comes when life is reduced to necessity?  What this jailer discovered is that life’s continuation for him meant getting the right answer right now.  What does God want from me?

God is the God of crisis.  He would much rather that we come to Him out of reasonable obedience and joy.  But we are an obstinate species.  We lapse into mental apathy as soon as life rises above necessity.  Crisis is necessary.  It focuses us on the critical questions.  Crisis is the doorway that God opens in order for us to see the reality of life:  it is firmly and inevitably in His hands.  If you ever thought anything else, you need to stand with that jailer and ask for the real answer.  “What must I do?”

Does God’s divine necessity form the unshakeable foundation of your life?