Rev. Dustin ParkerWho is this God person anyway? part1
I stole the line from Douglas Adams for two reasons. The first is because it is not a Chesterton remark and I am sure that by now people do not think I can quote anyone else. The second is because it sums up my own thoughts and feelings sometimes.
I'm a christian. I believe in God. I know that He is out there. But I am going to admit right now, that I don't always understand Him that I don't always "feel His Presence" and that He isn't always speaking to me. I know Him, we talk. He understands me, even tells me when I am being an idiot (this happens alot, I'm kind of glad that no one else is privy to those conversations).
So much of the time when I look at Him I think I might have seen something that is a limit, only for Him to open my eyes again and show me that I haven't seen anything except the bare minimum. Bob Bell wrote a book named Velvet Elvis where he said that God never showed His face to us, because we couldn't handle it. He showed a couple of those that He trusted the place where He had been, but that was as close as they got.
God is annoying. Everytime I think I have a handle, an angle, a piece of understanding that somehow helps me to reduce Him or shape Him, He does or says something that makes me realise that I really have very little understanding. I find the question of who is Jesus to be as equally as frustrating. He was God and He was man, both completely. He was loving, forgiving and yet completely uncompromising. I don't always understand why He did stuff. I'm always trying to figure it out, get closer. I can't find myself able to get the whole picture into my head. I can't nail it down, though my sins nailed Him up.
Who is He, that He is mindful of me?
JZ
I'm a christian. I believe in God. I know that He is out there. But I am going to admit right now, that I don't always understand Him that I don't always "feel His Presence" and that He isn't always speaking to me. I know Him, we talk. He understands me, even tells me when I am being an idiot (this happens alot, I'm kind of glad that no one else is privy to those conversations).
So much of the time when I look at Him I think I might have seen something that is a limit, only for Him to open my eyes again and show me that I haven't seen anything except the bare minimum. Bob Bell wrote a book named Velvet Elvis where he said that God never showed His face to us, because we couldn't handle it. He showed a couple of those that He trusted the place where He had been, but that was as close as they got.
God is annoying. Everytime I think I have a handle, an angle, a piece of understanding that somehow helps me to reduce Him or shape Him, He does or says something that makes me realise that I really have very little understanding. I find the question of who is Jesus to be as equally as frustrating. He was God and He was man, both completely. He was loving, forgiving and yet completely uncompromising. I don't always understand why He did stuff. I'm always trying to figure it out, get closer. I can't find myself able to get the whole picture into my head. I can't nail it down, though my sins nailed Him up.
Who is He, that He is mindful of me?
JZ
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Not long ago I heard a story about a young man and
an old preacher. The young man had lost his job
and didn't know which way to turn. So he went to
see the old preacher.
Pacing about the preacher's study, the young man
ranted about his problem. Finally he clenched his
fist and shouted, "I've begged God to say
something to help me. Tell me, Preacher, why
doesn't God answer?"
The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke
something in reply--something so hushed it was
indistinguishable. The young man stepped across
the room. "What did you say?" he asked.
The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone
as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved
closer until he was leaning on the preacher's
chair. "Sorry," he said. "I still didn't hear
you." With their heads bent together, the old
preacher spoke once more. "God sometimes
whispers," he said, "so we will move closer to
hear Him."
This time the young man heard and he understood.
We all want God's voice to thunder through the air
with the answer to our problem. But God's is the
still, small voice. . . the gentle whisper.
Perhaps there's a reason. Nothing draws human
focus quite like a whisper. God's whisper means I
must stop my ranting and move close to Him, until
my head is bent together with His. And then, as
I listen, I will find my answer. Better still, I
find myself closer to God.
Unknown
No.
JZ.
P.S. I think this is what is meant by loving God with all our mind. That even though we can never completely understand Him (and when we consider that He is infinite, we should take that as a given) that the job description for a christian is that we should try as hard as we can.
to be honest, hearing from God is not the problem. There are times when He is silent and leaves us to ourselves for awhile. That I am aware of.
What I do find frustrating is that I will never completely understand. Admittedly, I also like this frustration. If I could completely understand Him He wouldn't be God.
JZ
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord.
'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
Blessings!