{"id":1115,"date":"2010-05-16T00:00:01","date_gmt":"2010-05-16T00:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/05\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-what-if.html"},"modified":"2010-05-16T00:00:01","modified_gmt":"2010-05-16T00:00:01","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-what-if","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/05\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-what-if.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling<\/em>: What If?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What If? <\/h3>\n
READ Psalm 124:1-8<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

\nWhat if the LORD had not been on our side
     when people attacked us?
\n<\/p>\n

Psalm 124:2<\/a><\/div>\n

\nHave you ever found yourself wondering “What if”? Perhaps you’ve asked
\nyourself this question from a place of disappointment and missed
\nopportunity. What if I’d taken that other job? What if I’d gone to the
\ndoctor earlier?<\/p>\n

Sometimes
\nour “What if” questions come with grateful wonder. What if I hadn’t
\nfollowed up on that fruitful lead? What if I hadn’t asked the doctor to
\ncheck out that tumor when it was still so small? Given how close I came
\nto ignoring Laity Lodge’s interest in me, and how much I love my work
\nwith this outstanding ministry, I have sometimes wondered: “What if God
\nhadn’t been so gracious as to break through my closed-minded
\nassumptions about my life’s possibilities?”<\/p>\n

Psalm 124 begins
\nwith this sort of “What if” scenario. It assumes the fact that god had
\nbeen on the side of his people, protecting them from their enemies.
\nBased on this assumption, the psalm writer asks, “What if the LORD had
\nnot been on our side when people attacked us?” (124:2). The answer, not
\na pretty one, underscores the value of God’s merciful deliverance.<\/p>\n

I
\ndon’t think we ought to live every day in the world of “What if”
\nhypotheticals. But, ever now and then, this question can accentuate our
\ngratitude. It can even help us to be thankful for gifts of God that we
\nhave previously taken for granted.<\/p>\n

What if God did not love me?
\nWhat if he held me liable for my sins without offering a way of
\nforgiveness? What if God was not rich in mercy? What if life had no
\nultimate purpose?<\/p>\n

Thanks be to God that we don’t have to fret
\nabout these “What ifs.” Thanks be to God for his glorious grace and
\nmatchless love given to us in Jesus Christ!<\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nAs you think of God’s goodness to you, which “What if” questions
\naugment your gratitude? How have you experienced God’s grace recently?
\nHave you paused to reflect on this gift with “What if” gratitude? <\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: Gracious God, what if you did
\nnot love me? Thank I would be stuck in dread of a God who ignored me at
\nbest, and despised at worst.<\/p>\n

What if you help me liable for my
\nsins without providing a way of forgiveness? Then I would be found
\nguilty, plain and simple. If you did not take my sin upon yourself in
\nthe Son, then I would have no hope of forgiveness and freedom, no
\npromise of ever being in relationship with you.<\/p>\n

What if you were
\nnot rich in mercy, Lord? Then I would be inestimably poor, reaping the
\nsorry harvest of my sin. And I would be afraid to approach you, for
\nfear of rejection . . . or worse.<\/p>\n

What if life had no ultimate
\npurpose? Then I would be mired in the muck of meaninglessness.  I would
\nbe forced to live for my own fleeting pleasures rather than to play a
\nvital role in your grand drama of cosmic redemption.<\/p>\n

All praise
\nbe to you, gracious God, because all of my fearful “What ifs” evaporate
\nin the warmth of your love and grace. Hallelujah! Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What If? READ Psalm 124:1-8   What if the LORD had not been on our side     when people attacked us? Psalm 124:2 Have you ever found yourself wondering “What if”? Perhaps you’ve asked yourself this question from a place of disappointment and missed opportunity. What if I’d taken that other job? What if I’d gone to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: What If? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}