‘A voice in my head told me to knock someone’s door... and I found them collapsed!’

I was greatly struck – indeed greatly challenged – by a recent Bible reading in St Luke chapter 5.

Jesus healed a man whose friends opened a hole in the roof of a house and lowered him down, because there was such a crowd that they couldn’t find another way in.

St Luke records the people saying: “We have seen remarkable things today”.

Indeed, they had! I often find myself fascinated by remarkable events and achievements. Every month NASA send me several e-mails about exactly when to spot their International Space Station.

I always go out (weather permitting!) and am always amazed at the remarkable precision of their timings and my ability to see such a remarkable object crossing the sky at 17,500 miles per hour.

My Bible reading has forced me to think about whether I actually expect remarkable things from God today.

A friend commented to me recently that we have often “diluted” our faith so much that it is little more than a religious veneer to advance our own plans or preferences. Low expectations are all-too common.

When I pray, do I ever expect a remarkable response, even though Christ himself spoke about faith that could move mountains?

When I am trying to figure out what to do, how often do I expect remarkable guidance? When I am reading the Bible, do I ever anticipate that some remarkable insight might spring from the words?

How often do I look to the Lord to do a remarkable work in someone’s life (or indeed my own!) instead of simply trying to manage a difficult situation?

Yet, as I look back, I can clearly identify times and circumstances when God did remarkable things.

For example, I recall driving home after a morning of visiting people in their homes, and I had an insistent “voice” in my head urging me to go back up the road and knock on a particular door.

Eventually, and reluctantly, I did so, frankly feeling rather stupid.

Behind that door (which I was able to open!) I found a woman slumped on the floor.

Obviously, I sought help for her and she made a reasonable (though not full) recovery. Remarkable guidance in a very unusual way.

So my question to you today is this: would you welcome the Lord doing remarkable things in your life? If not, why not? If so, how’s about asking Him to make that happen?