The Making of God

The examination of the existence of god fails to explore the wide range of images of god that exist in the human mind. When I am asked if I believe in god, I need to reply "What does your god look like?" If I believe in a "god" that consists of a cloud of sub-atomic particles, devoid of thought, may I claim a belief in god? 

 

Len Sanders, 8/23/10 in answer to the question:

  Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete?

Have you ever been disappointed by God?  Ever felt He was unjust, unfair, maybe even a little cruel in His dealings with you?  Ever wonder why God didn’t prevent a tragedy or a trauma in your life and perhaps why He seems to disappear when you need Him the most?

Have you questioned His ability to save, rescue, heal or reconcile? Ever just get tired of waiting for months or even years for an answer from Him? Ever feel like your once vibrant faith has been shipwrecked and you’ll never be able to sail on faith the way you once used to?

I think any believer who is conscious has felt at least one if not all of these things at one time or another.

I recently finished reading a book by Phillip Yancey titled, What Good is God? In Search of a Faith That Matters.  In one chapter, he told briefly of a lady pastor who found it impossible to pray for 18 months after her son died.  Even after her attempt to reconcile with God it took an additional six months before she could really pray. I found great comfort in that story.  I’ve been in that place of broken faith. Different circumstances - same devastation.

When we suffer great disappointment or tragedy and God doesn’t seem to care or even show up, we call into question just who He is and wonder what our faith is all about. While these doubts are normal and there is certainly grace sufficient to cover them (just read The Book of Job), it leaves us vulnerable to perhaps forget who He is and what He says about Himself and about His love for us.

When these things happen, ask yourself this one question:

Am I placing my faith in a God that I have made, 

or in the God that has made me?

What a humbling query.

The truth is, we all form an idea in our minds about who God is and what He will do.  If we could instantaneously believe 100% without failing or faltering in what scripture tells us about God, we would never have a crisis of faith.  So much of our concept of God is based on what we were taught as children, past personal experiences and where we currently are in our understanding and faith walk. In essence, over time, if we are not careful, we end up making God into what we think He is, or what we think He should be, instead of simply believing  in who He says He is.

Is the God you pray to a temperamental, moody, spiteful, wishy-washy, control freak, or the tender, merciful, loving, holy, righteous, compassionate, victorious God He says He is?

The problem with faith is that you have to practice it in order to get good at it and many give up before it is ever established in their life. Unfortunately, the only arena to practice our faith  in, is in the arena of adversity.  If we can be honest with each other for a moment -  not many of us volunteer to go there!

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews11:1 

It is easy to believe in what we can see or what we know, but not so easy to believe in things unseen or unknown.

If you are feeling stalled in your faith, ask yourself this simple question before you pray next time: exactly who am I praying to? Is it the God that I have made in my mind? Or the God who made me? Am I subconsciously expecting an answer based on my limited knowledge and belief, or based on what God has said in His word?  

Before we approach God for anything, it may be helpful to remind ourselves of these five promises.*  These truths about who HE is will help redirect our focus from who we think He is, to Who He says He is.

(1)    God is ALWAYS with ME. I will not fear.
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

(2) God is ALWAYS in CONTROL. I will not doubt.
After all the difficulties in Job's life, and after challenging God, Job humbly declared: 

I know that you can do everything and that your plans are unstoppable. Job 42:2 (GWT)

(3) God is ALWAYS GOOD. I will not despair.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:8-9 (NKJV)

(4) God is ALWAYS WATCHING. I will not falter.
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
Psalm 139 1-6 (NLT)

(5) God is ALWAYS VICTORIOUS. I will not fail.
But praise be to God who makes us strong to overcome in Christ, and makes clear through us in every place the value of the knowledge of him.
2 Corinthians 2:14 (BIBE)

Sometimes, we just need to adjust our thinking.  And sometimes, it takes a simple question to set us straight and get us back on the right path.  

May we find grace, today and always, to believe in the God who made us, instead of the God that we make.

* The five promises are taken from the book titled, Always True: 5 Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises, by James MacDonald. I have not read the book so I do not know if the scriptures I chose for this blog correspond to what Mr. MacDonald has written.

Another good reminder...

THE STORY OF UGLY

Hi all:

My apologies for it being so long since I have posted something new. Just traveling along at the speed of life!  Working on a couple of posts so I hope to have something new for you in a week or so as long as things slow down.  Not sure who pushed the fast forward button on January 1st, but please undo it! Thank you very much!

In the meantime, I thought I would share a great, inspiring story about love with you.  The author and source is unknown. It's one of those stories that make ya look inside yourself and think...

Enjoy!

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THE STORY OF UGLY

Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and shall we say, love.

The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye, and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner.

His tail had long ago been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch. Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, and even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. “That’s one UGLY cat!!”

All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness.

Whenever he spied children, he would come running meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If ever someone picked him up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find.

One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor’s huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. From my apartment I could hear his screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly’s sad life was almost at an end.

Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. “I must be hurting him terribly,” I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear.

Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battle-scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion.

At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterward, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly.

Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply.

It was time to give my all to those I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be like Ugly.