7 Things God Is And Yet Is Not
List-y posts are quite popular these days. I've already made one, so why not another! I'll join in all the fun and be like everyone else. I may be completely wrong in what I am about to write but, Lord willing, if I am I will be corrected and reined in.
Where should I begin? Well, just to get things started. This has been a miserable year (at times) for me. Nothing in comparison to some people, but something to me. Never before now have I been so confused as to who God says He is and the lack of what I see of Him experientially. Here are a few examples and ways I mean to help me (and maybe you) know what I'm meaning.
1. God calls Himself Provider.
Yet, I had to take a whole year off of my schooling to pay for it. I had to rely on my own means to meet my need of schooling.
2. God is called the Comforter.
Yet, I've never felt so alone this past year. What I experience day to day is often loneliness. That's not to belittle those in my life and the deep relationships I have with them. I just often feel lonely and a disconnect.
3. God is Faithful.
If He is faithful in character and towards His own, why do I see a lack of Him working in the lives of those around me, those I'm closest to, and in my own life?
4. God as Healer.
Why do I not see His Mighty Healing Power in people's lives? People are hurting. People are needing Him in a deep psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual way that He appears not to be meeting.
5. God is Light.
Yet, it seems I often just see more and more darkness...
6. God as Refuge.
When running to Him (or wanting to) it does not seem safe to do so, it does not seem I will be safeguarded from the storm. The storm still rages even if I'm trusting in Him. And frankly, sometimes He seems a bit dangerous too.
7. God as Friend.
Friends are supposed to be there. Yet, I often feel He is not there. Friendship is a deep bond experienced between two people, why do I just feel on my own and a lack of Your presence, then?
(Keep with me here, this may start to feel repetitive but it is for a point.)
God You call Yourself Provider, I need You to provide (this) for me.
God You call Yourself Comforter, I need You to comfort me from my loneliness.
God You say You are Faithful, I need You to be Faithful in the lives around me.
God You say You are Healer, all this brokenness needs Your Healing Power.
God You are Light, where is the Light that is needed in the lives around me?
God You are Refuge, where is the safety and security needed (from this)?
God You are Friend, where are you when I feel I need You?
God is all these things (and infinitely more). There is (as far as my understanding reaches) nothing wrong with knowing these truths and characteristics of God and asking Him to work based out of His character. Of this I know yet, admittedly, am not always convinced of as I look around in what I see.
However.
One evening awhile back I just cried, "God I need You."
Then it occurred to me. In all my saying of 'God You are ___ I need You to....' I was missing Him. I was forgetting God as YAHWEH, the self-existing one, the great 'I AM'. The ones who's ways are higher than my own. I need, simply, just Him.
And then this evening (or early morning rather) I read in Oswald Chambers' wonderful My Utmost For His Highest
"...How are we going to get the life that has no lust, no self-interest, no sensitiveness to pokes, the love that is not provoked, that thinketh no evil, that is always kind? The only way is by allowing not a bit of the old life to be left; but only simple perfect trust in God, such trust that we no longer want God's blessings, but only want Himself. Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him?..."
No, I am not at that place. I long to be one day, though.
Yes, God is these seven listed things. But God is God. He will use whatever means necessary to draw us unto Himself, to bring us into "simple perfect trust" in Him. Even if it means withholding certain aspects of Himself. He loves us too much for us to only seek Him for His blessings or what certain aspects of Himself can give to us. He loves us enough to withhold Himself until we seek only the great 'I AM'.
"Safe?...'Course he isn't safe. But he's good." -CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
P.S.
The underlining was done by me (just encase there was any confusion).
Where should I begin? Well, just to get things started. This has been a miserable year (at times) for me. Nothing in comparison to some people, but something to me. Never before now have I been so confused as to who God says He is and the lack of what I see of Him experientially. Here are a few examples and ways I mean to help me (and maybe you) know what I'm meaning.
1. God calls Himself Provider.
Yet, I had to take a whole year off of my schooling to pay for it. I had to rely on my own means to meet my need of schooling.
2. God is called the Comforter.
Yet, I've never felt so alone this past year. What I experience day to day is often loneliness. That's not to belittle those in my life and the deep relationships I have with them. I just often feel lonely and a disconnect.
3. God is Faithful.
If He is faithful in character and towards His own, why do I see a lack of Him working in the lives of those around me, those I'm closest to, and in my own life?
4. God as Healer.
Why do I not see His Mighty Healing Power in people's lives? People are hurting. People are needing Him in a deep psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual way that He appears not to be meeting.
5. God is Light.
Yet, it seems I often just see more and more darkness...
6. God as Refuge.
When running to Him (or wanting to) it does not seem safe to do so, it does not seem I will be safeguarded from the storm. The storm still rages even if I'm trusting in Him. And frankly, sometimes He seems a bit dangerous too.
7. God as Friend.
Friends are supposed to be there. Yet, I often feel He is not there. Friendship is a deep bond experienced between two people, why do I just feel on my own and a lack of Your presence, then?
(Keep with me here, this may start to feel repetitive but it is for a point.)
God You call Yourself Provider, I need You to provide (this) for me.
God You call Yourself Comforter, I need You to comfort me from my loneliness.
God You say You are Faithful, I need You to be Faithful in the lives around me.
God You say You are Healer, all this brokenness needs Your Healing Power.
God You are Light, where is the Light that is needed in the lives around me?
God You are Refuge, where is the safety and security needed (from this)?
God You are Friend, where are you when I feel I need You?
God is all these things (and infinitely more). There is (as far as my understanding reaches) nothing wrong with knowing these truths and characteristics of God and asking Him to work based out of His character. Of this I know yet, admittedly, am not always convinced of as I look around in what I see.
However.
One evening awhile back I just cried, "God I need You."
Then it occurred to me. In all my saying of 'God You are ___ I need You to....' I was missing Him. I was forgetting God as YAHWEH, the self-existing one, the great 'I AM'. The ones who's ways are higher than my own. I need, simply, just Him.
And then this evening (or early morning rather) I read in Oswald Chambers' wonderful My Utmost For His Highest
"...How are we going to get the life that has no lust, no self-interest, no sensitiveness to pokes, the love that is not provoked, that thinketh no evil, that is always kind? The only way is by allowing not a bit of the old life to be left; but only simple perfect trust in God, such trust that we no longer want God's blessings, but only want Himself. Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him?..."
No, I am not at that place. I long to be one day, though.
Yes, God is these seven listed things. But God is God. He will use whatever means necessary to draw us unto Himself, to bring us into "simple perfect trust" in Him. Even if it means withholding certain aspects of Himself. He loves us too much for us to only seek Him for His blessings or what certain aspects of Himself can give to us. He loves us enough to withhold Himself until we seek only the great 'I AM'.
"Safe?...'Course he isn't safe. But he's good." -CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
P.S.
The underlining was done by me (just encase there was any confusion).
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