Getting Things Done

“Then God said” Genesis 1:3

Getting Things Done

Said – How do we get things done?  The bottom line to most of our activity is that things get done by the application of some kind of force.  Want to build something?  Apply physical force.  Want to buy something?  Apply financial force.  The human experience of production is based on applying force to some existing entity and altering its condition.  But this is not the way God does things.  We need to pay close attention to the difference because we have a tendency to think about God’s method of production from our human experience and that always leads us to error.

So how does God get things done?  God speaks.  God calls things into existence.  He doesn’t have to manipulate, force, intimidate or coerce.  God just says the word and it is accomplished.  Quite frankly, there is nothing in human experience like this.  That should make us stop dead in our tracks.  We should be completely humbled and awestruck by this statement.  The power of the living God is demonstrated in His word.  His words alone were enough to bring the entire universe into existence.  His words alone are enough to alter human history.  The glory of God is revealed in His words.

The Hebrew verb ‘amar (to say) establishes immediately that this God is a God who speaks and what He speaks is of utmost importance.  Creation, revelation, commandment and purpose are all spoken by this God.  Furthermore, because God is the God who speaks, we are expected to hear and respond.  We are not left in the dark.  God tells us what we must know.  The Biblical pattern is quite simple:  God speaks, I hear, I obey.  That’s all that is required.  It’s no accident that the word for “hear” (shama) is also the word for “obey”.  That’s my side of the equation.  God’s side is to say the word.

All that is necessary for God to accomplish His purposes is to speak.  Is that how you approach God?  “Lord, speak to me for your servant hears.”  Or are you operating in the human model.  “Lord, do this, change that, make this happen, take care to that.”  Time to stop thinking that God works the way you do.  Time to start acting on the basis that God’s word is quite enough to accomplish anything He wants.

There is really only one critical question concerning production.  What is God saying?  It’s exactly the same critical question in prayer.

Have you heard Him?