August 15, 2017 – Devotions
Your G-d is Too Small – G-d as Ombudsman

“Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this why you sent me here? I went to the king and said what you told me to say, but ever since that time he has made the people suffer. And you have done nothing to save them.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to the king of Egypt. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. Because of my power, he will force them out of his country.” Then God said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name God Almighty, but they did not know me by my name, the Lord. I also made my agreement with them to give them the land of Canaan. They lived in that land, but it was not their own. Now I have heard the cries of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are treating as slaves, and I remember my agreement.” Exodus 5:22-23, 6:1-5

There are plenty of people in this world who are disappointed with life, with their marriage, with their family, with their job, and with their children, and even with their G-d, among many other disappointments and complaints. No matter how good life has been, or how many opportunities or second chances they have received, they just live life as if their glass is “half-empty”. To them, everything, including their G-d, is a disappointment. Now, of course, there are those in our lives who we have determined that seem to enjoy being “miserable”. They have story after story they can tell you about how G-d did not answer their prayers, how the disasters of life make no sense, how a loving G-d should not make children suffer, and wonder why G-d would direct a tornado into one neighborhood after another. Of course the complaints do not end with G-d – they will complain that the government is too big, or too small; that television has too many channels or not enough options; and the weather is either too cold, or too warm, or too muggy, or too wet, or……………..you get the picture. For this kind of person, G-d will always be a disappointment for having failed them – and G-d is tossed upon the pile of all of the other “people and things” that have failed them in their life. And, as usual, if this is your understanding of G-d, then my friend, “Your G-d is Too Small”.

As a pastor, I marvel at the times I see people of little faith, and even those of strong faith, who get mad at G-d when a loved one dies, or they lose their job, or a disaster happens somewhere in the world. These people seem to have determined in their minds what G-d should or should not be doing, and how G-d should or should not be present in the world. But how can we know G-d’s purposes, G-d’s will, or G-d’s plans for the world? The first position we must consider is this: we will never be able to determine with any certainty in this life why, how, when or where G-d chooses to act. This is one of the great mysteries about G-d. Some will go on to experience miracles, others will believe they hear the voice of G-d, while others seek for even the smallest expression from G-d and seem to get no reply.

The best answer (but not the most satisfying one) is that G-d allows free will for all humanity. As such, we often choose to act, think and plan as if G-d does not exist, and as if we have no need for G-d. And when bad things do happen, then surely G-d gets the blame so we do not have to bear any responsibility – right or wrong. It would be nice for the good to always prosper and the bad to suffer for their evil deeds, but this is not how the world works. But until G-d does redeem all of creation, we will only be able to see “as if in a mirror dimly” what G-d is planning — not only for the current world, but for our own presence in this world. What I do know is we need to act, think and plan according to trying to understand G-d’s will, which Jesus expressly states as to “..love G-d and love all people as if they were us”. It may not be entirely satisfying, but it will keep us closer to G-d and G-d’s will. (Themes come from the book “Your God Is Too Small” by J. B. Phillips)

Pastor Dave