Who do we think He is? No... who do we think WE are??

The house is silent. Everyone has long since fallen asleep.



I, myself, should be asleep in my bed. But I can’t sleep. My mind is racing- my thoughts on a 120 mph race to reach some unknown destination. Where that is, I’m not sure. I have no agenda in mind. But I can’t shut them off. I can’t quiet my mind- so I might as well get them out so I may put my mind at rest, turn out the light and go to sleep - knowing I’ve said my peace.


This evening, before bed, as I routinely “closed up” the house and cleaned up the kitchen, I saw a bowl of chips sitting on the table. Why not? – I thought. I shoved in a few chips and continued to wipe down the counters. 30 seconds later, my finger. was. BURNING. A cut! I’d forgotten about a paper cut… that a tiny fraction of my skin was exposed. I stuck my thumb in my mouth, paused- and waited until the sting went away. And while I paused, I thought about the ole saying… you know it, of course… “like pouring salt in an open wound.”


It hurts.


My thoughts wandered next to something I was disturbed about prior to cleaning up the kitchen. Earlier this evening, I logged onto Facebook and read something that I’d been thinking about ever since. Now, I’ve been on Facebook for years and just when I think I’ve gotten it figured out, I realize that I don’t… like, for example, why it is that posts from other people I’m not connected with on Facebook show up in my news feed? Why do I care what “Joe Schmo” (who I’m not even friends with) said, and why does it show up in MY news feed just because one of our mutual friends liked or commented on his status? I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what- it’s caused me my fair share of raised hackles, occasions to bite my lip (since I had no other choice and couldn’t respond) and- on instances like this evening… nights that threaten to turn into “sleepless” if I don’t release my thoughts.


And so here it is…

Tonight, a gentleman posed a thought on the sovereignty of God. He noted that if all was created by Him, thru Him, and for Him, and if truly the winds even obey Him, and if He is completely sovereign over all creation, what do we say then about the tornados that took lives in the last 24 hours. I understand and appreciate his thought- regardless of my own personal opinion as to where He was going with this. However, MY first thought when I read this was that His comment completely lacked sensitivity to those who had suffered unspeakable loss. Like salt in a wound. People haven’t even buried the bodies of their loved ones… their mothers, fathers… their babies. Regardless of your view of God, of free will, of whether God allows evil, or sends calamity to meet a higher, unknown purpose… I shutter when I realize we’ve become a community of people- of believers- who think we can take a catastrophic event like this and within 24 hours, throw it up on a discussion board and hammer out an answer based on what we *think* we know to be true about God. Fodder for “good discussion.” Really?? I guess I’m asking this- who are we to even pose the question?


So the guy posing the question thinks God sent the tornados – because He controls everything- so who are we to question God’s sovereignty?


Others clearly disagreed (as I, personally would be inclined) – not that God is sovereign, because He most certainly is… but others referred to free will and the role of Satan’s influence in this world.


His status ended with, “what is your take?” – Because I am not networked on FB with him, I have no ability to post on his comment thread. But because this is my blog, I can write what I want. If I am bold enough- perhaps I will later consider sharing this on Facebook.


But here is my take….


Who really knows?


Furthermore…
Why is it that we think we have it all figured out?
Why do we think we can fit God into a box? One way or the other.


People want to camp out in 2 ditches.

1) A loving God would never and could never allow or send calamity and everything bad that happens is the result of the enemy.
Or...2) A belief that God controls everything and causes and sends all calamity and who are we to question?



As far as I see, it all boils down to this:
In ditch #1, you find people who are too afraid to believe in a God who might send any calamity, any trial, for any reason at any time… because... why? That would make him unloving?


And yet in the other ditch camps those who are too afraid to believe in a God who can and does allow Satan to roam freely, Who has established free will and allowed it to create a mess of consequences, calamities and widespread devastation through all manner of ways because... why? That somehow minimizes the sovereignty of God? If He’s not the one who controls, to the detail- every. single. thing.- then His omnipotence is somehow lessened?


Sadly, both are wrong. And not according to me… according to the scriptures. All one has to do is read the old testament where you will find many examples of God sending devastation for a purpose. Or the New testament- where God used the crucifixion of his Son so that we might be given life. YET, in this same Bible we find clear instruction to stand our guard and fight the enemy who has been given dominion and rule over this world, until the return of Christ. From the very beginning of scripture we see the beautiful gift of free will, and how humans managed to turn that blessing into a curse for which we suffer the consequences personally and on a global scale every.single.day.

I think our tendency to camp out in either ditch stems from fear:

Fear that if God can and does send calamity, then He might chose to refine ME through a trial and I. don’t. want it!

Or a fear that if God actually can and does change his mind and not all events, positive or negative, are entirely orchestrated by Him then- look out- because that means I have to take personal responsibility for things I may not want to… I may be required to step out into a place that makes me uncomfortable… or – perhaps most scary of all… my faith, or lack thereof- really does have an enormous impact on the outcome of my life.


Let’s put things in perspective.
There is a God. I am not Him. And neither are you.
And any attempt to box Him into either ditch, will gain us no deeper understanding- it serves no other purpose than to feed our pride.

His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.


God cannot be defined by who we want Him to be. What makes us feel comfortable or safe- in either extreme.

One thing we can be sure. God is who He says He Is.
The One true God.
Holy.
Omnipotent.
Sovereign.


As soon as we start thinking that we’ve got Him “all figured out” – is the moment we begin to replace Him.

Let’s serve and glorify who He is – beautifully complex- and stop trying to make Him who we want Him to be.