Getting an Update from the Source

I have understood for a while that God is in complete control. I also have found out, usually through unkind and aggressive disagreements that this understanding is not somewhere most ‘Christians’ really want to go.

I get that. The concept creates a bunch of uncomfortable questions. All of which can be answered by trusting in the scriptures, especially those that say, “God is good”. After all, Isn’t “faith in God” taking His word for things? “But, how can He be good if He is in control of all of the bad things?”

How indeed.

Well, it is rather unpleasant to get a tooth drilled by a dentist. Is the dentist doing evil by causing us pain? No, he is fixing our tooth. “Ah, but if God is in control, why would the tooth have gone bad in the first place?”

Pain and struggle are guaranteed for those of us who are His. Jesus himself said this. He also said the purpose was to refine or improve our faith. All things are designed to do this. Again, I have no issues or struggles with this truth. I find it rather comforting that in all my life, even my decisions, good or bad, are within His control.

“How can He blame us then for our sin?”

Paul already addresses this in Romans:

Romans 9:19-23 ESV

19. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

20. But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

21. Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

22. What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

23. in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—

Look, it is rather simple. We don’t know the big picture, thus the importance of trusting in God, who seems to be the ONLY one who does. It is His plan, ALL of it. His purpose, ALL of it. The reasons and purposes of God are way, WAY, beyond us.

“What about love? How can we love God if the choice is not ours?”

Can you even define what love is? Many have tried for as long as the planet has been here. I think it is even way more complicated than we already think. Choice, Destiny, Predestination and Love. These are rather big, eternal, multi-dimensional things. How can they be? I have no idea, but I know it is true because God said it is, and well, I trust Him. I don’t like His plan most of the time, but I know it is a good one and in the end, NO ONE will be able to accuse Him of being unfair or unkind.

“What about prayer?”

This has been a struggle for me since I began to truly understand God’s true power over all things. “Why pray? What does it matter if God already knows and is going to do His will anyway?” Yes, why pray at all.

Prayer, as we “Christians” have been using it for, has been predominately to ask for what we want. This is, of course, how Jesus talked about it. “ask and you will receive”. If I ask God for something, the reason I do so is simply because I want Him to alter reality and give me what I want. It might be a new car or it might be healing for a friend with cancer. Neither requests would be wrong to do. The answer of course, from God, is that He will do it or not.

We don’t know what His plan is. The whole circumstance was in His will. It was His will to create the need, His will for us to ask, and His will to do what we asked, or not.

What is the point? Why wouldn’t He just do it? Why not have given us a new car before we asked? Why not have kept the friend from getting cancer in the first place?

These are all reasonable questions and God is not offended by us asking them. Why would He be? He is God, we are His clueless children. Do you really think God is so petty that He would respond with indignation for our boldness? Hardly. Especially since even our asking was part of His plan.

It seems clear to me that there is something much greater going on with this “prayer thing”. When I sit in His presence, I sit there connecting, communicating with God; whether I feel His presence, or whether I get some sort of response from Him or not. There is a deep level of spiritual communication going on. I have become absolutely convinced of this. Much of this communication has nothing at all to do with my physical mind.

Sometimes, I call the truth that gets passed to me a download. Odd, yes, but it is a feeling I get sometimes in His presence. It is like while I am sitting talking or listening, something deeper is going on…like my software is getting an update.

I think it is. I am being changed, built up and improved. “For what purpose?” Again, I have no idea, but I believe it is good. Why? Because He said so.

When we are in His presence, truth comes. I truly don’t believe anyone can sit there, when that is going on, and lie to themselves. No one can sit in His presence and truly think that abortion is OK, nor cheating on our spouse, nor living a homosexual lifestyle, nor sleeping with our girlfriend/boyfriend, nor lying to our boss, nor stealing from our neighbors. No, the presence of God brings truth and it changes us internally.

The purpose of prayer is for us to connect with Him. To interact mind, body and spirit, with the creator of all things. To be made better...by Him.

Sure, we can bug Him for something we want. He may give it to us, all part of His plan and all. But how much better is prayer if we realize that HE does something more…much more.

That is way better, way more eternal than a new car, a healing, a better job or even a happier life.

Way better.