Ha, and I think you took a step backwards ....funny how that works.
So Steve, what made you seek out divine intervention?
I never intended to seek out a different answer, and I felt I had no reason to (this will be longer than I like, but perhaps you will prevail). So, to answer your question, I never did!
But one day, I woke up and thought to myself, I have great supportive parents, good friends, successfully completed 7 years of college and got my Masters Degree, actually landed a job at Chrysler Engineering, which was my ultimate goal in life, even got accepted into their Institute of Engineering program when only 10 people were accepted in 1969, loved my job, made good money and so on. I had no reason to want more in my life.
But also later on, one day I woke up totally empty and didn't really want to get out of bed. To this day, I don't know what happened to me except that God intervened in my life to make me aware that these things I had achieved were not His purpose for my life. It took me several years to climb out of it, but my mother helped and just suggested I might want to attend a local church and see if that could help. I thought that is the last thing I would do.
But eventually, when the emptiness and a burning desire for some unkown reason to know what the purpose and meaning of life was, I acquiesed and went. Fortunately, the church I attended was a good one, with real dedicated people involved. After a few weeks, I had to admit they had something that I very much wanted in my life - purpose and joy. And most important, they had love the likes of which I had never really experienced before. They were truly inwardly happy, content and gave freely of themselves and were just people such that I wanted to have what they had. I never before even wanted any of this that I was aware of.
But I was still very suspicious and didn't want to just accept some "feel good" religion. I am an analytical guy and look closely for b.s.
So I took the Bible and actually studied in intently for almost two years before I realized it was God himself talking directly to me. I concluded no man could have possibly written what was said.
For example, most Christians believe that if they proselytize people that they will likely "believe". But Romans 8 & 9 say otherwise, that if God Himself doesn't intervene in one's life, no one will ever seek Him. That floored me - that was me! It seems to suggest then that it is not our fault if we don't believe. But the apostle Paul puts things into perspective and responds with a response that also shook me up but puts things in perspective.
Without going further into that example, for a moment, I find myself grateful that there was intervention in my life that I never wanted, but couldn't ignore either. I have absolutely no pride in that I am a Christian, only gratefulness, - not because of anything special about what I had done in my life compared to anyone else, but He chose me to become one of His just because of his choice -
nothing else the Bible says explicitly. This was the part that took me over two years to struggle with, but I also had a new close friend at work with whom I could share my confusion and understandings with and we could struggle together, since he was pretty new to all this too. We both concluded eventually that none of us has "free will", but only "limited free will" in our lives.
Bottom line, and I admit I don't understand why it works this way, but the Bible also says no one has an excuse for not believing, because of the reality of our lives and the world around us, that there is a divine plan in creation. But it also says no one will believe unless there is His intervention/choice.
So I never even knew I was empty or unsatisfied at the time all this happened - and that is sincere! But when I was forced to open my eyes, I realized that I was really missing out. All I can say at this point is that in placing Him as Lord of my life, I can't explain the joy and contentment in me now any other way. No b.s. His love has no equal, we were meant to fellowship with Him and to represent Him faithfully in our lives like the ones that convinced me to look into this early on. I will never look back.
You can decide, but I don't consider myself a fool, easily suckered, or unable to anayze complex issues. You Dave, seem to be quite intelligent, and we conclude much the same things over time on this Board. But we also have major differences that are due to differences in judgment and life's experiences.
So I have no pesonal judgment against anyone that doesn't "believe", but only hope that one day there might be intervention in your life that you will not welcome, but also will be glad took place. My only purpose in talking about any of this on this Board is to maybe make someone aware, that when unexplained hardship comes into your life, in whatever form it takes, it may well be a knock on the door to a better life than you ever imagined or even even knew existed.
I have met several people on this Board in person, and the one thing that I hope to convey is authenticity. And that I am no fool either. But most of all, I want to be the person God made me to be and represent Him faithfully, even when I fall short.
Sincerely,
Steve
