Life beats the sense of wonder out of us. Jesus often marveled at our unbelief. We would consider commanding a mountain to be an unbelievably great act of faith. Evidently nature is supposed to obey us. Somewhere along the line our normal inheritance of simple, joyous optimism has been crushed.

One time a United States congressman said that when he entered politics he had in mind to save the world. Before he left office he was attempting to save the sand dunes in his home state as a national park. Life had compressed his vision.

The Lord does not want unbelief, torpor, or dread in His palace. He commanded us to not be troubled in spirit. We are to refuse to allow fear to enter our personality. But just try to keep this commandment!

Part of our problem is a deadening spirit of inevitability.

The spirit of inevitability binds us along two lines: a belief that somehow everything will come out in the wash; also a feeling we are destined to be what we are and it will never change.

Let's think about the first problem—everything will come out in the wash.

The Lord Jesus advised us that if we would be His disciple, that is, a Christian, we must lay down our life, take up our cross, and follow Him. If you are a Christian, estimate how many of your fellow Christians are actually turning aside from the world, taking up their cross of self-denial, and following the Master intently.

Assuredly there are some disciples in most Christian churches. But what about the rest of the flock?

But we just can't bring ourselves to believe that only those who are bearing their cross are the only true Christians.

Most of us are not historians. Without realizing it we assume that all believers of all time lived as do present-day American churchgoers.

We have never seen the bloody footprints in the snow.

So we have this sense that even though we are not doing what Jesus said, it will come out all right in the end.

From the little we know of the Lord we seriously doubt that such is the case.

The other side of the coin is the idea we are doomed to be what we are and it will never change. Listen! The barns of Heaven are filled with tons of blessings, miracles, opportunities of all kinds just waiting for someone to take God at His Word.

About three decades ago we asked the Lord for the opportunity to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom everywhere that people breathe the air. We were teaching the fifth grade at the time.

At the present time our books and tapes are touching many nations. This morning we learned some Christians from Papua, New Guinea are studying the tapes we put out. We asked for everywhere that people breathe the air and that is just what is going to happen, from Lapland to Tierra del Fuego!

A dramatic prayer has gained some dramatic answers.

Away with this spirit of inevitability!

Why don't you ask largely? All things are possible to him or her who believes!