Outside The Box
So, I was putting my kids to bed after our prayers and Bible reading and they bombarded me with all their spiritual questions like they always do (so they can stay up later) and we got onto the discussion of why God answered my prayers for a certain situation one way, but then didn’t answer them the same way in a similar situation, but instead answered the prayer in a completely different way.
It made me think about the series we are doing at church right now through the Christmas season, called “Ordinary”. We’re looking at the fact that God is in the business of taking ordinary people and circumstance and doing extraordinary things. In other words, God loves to “play outside the box.”
We all have a box, a set of boundaries and parameters that limit who God is and how God works. We all have this understanding and list of expectations of what we think God is like, how He would or would not do things, and so on. What I have found is that God likes to frequently do things outside of the parameters of what I know, understand, and am comfortable with. He loves to break out of the limitations and restrictions I tend to place on Him in my life and the world. The question is… Why? Does he just do it because He can? Is He a show off? Is there a reason for it? Yes. I’ll explain, but before I do, let me prove first that God likes to play outside the box.
1Corinthians 1:20, 27-31 20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
If ever it’s taught that God likes to work out of the box it is here in this scripture. Why? Partly to “show off”, to display His greatness, power, and wisdom, partly because He can and wants to so that our lives can be better, and partly because He wants us to see we can’t do it on our own, we need Him, and He alone is the answer.
We see all these things here, plus in other scriptures that reference God’s miracles as “signs and wonders”. What is a sign? It’s a message that “shows off” something good about a thing or place to get your attention so you’ll partake. It’s not the real thing, but it points you to the real thing.
God frequently defies our natural logic, understanding, comfort zone, and ways of doing things.
He calms storms with a word. He walks on water and enables others to do so. He casts demons out of people with a word. He made a lame man walk with a word. He healed a blind man by putting mud made of spit and dirt on the guys eyes. He enabled one disciple to survive boiling vats of oil without any harm, while He led another to lay down his life and be crucified for the faith. He provided for His servant through ravens. He cause a jar of oil to not run out for a very long time. He made an ax head float. He had His servant marry a prostitute. He had His servant lay naked for years on one side, only to tell him to flip and do it on the other side for a while. He used a pagan king to execute His judgment. He parted the Red Sea so His people could pass through on dry ground. He caused a virgin to be pregnant without the involvement of a man. He established His rule as King of the universe by entering our world as a humble servant and sacrifice.
Here’s another example of God playing out of the box.
Job 33:14 For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it.
As I understand this scripture, it’s not that God doesn’t talk/speak, it’s that He doesn’t do it the same way each time and thus many don’t hear Him, perceive Him speaking, or get the message.
Again we see God playing outside the box, not wanting to be stuck in the limitations of what we can fathom, understand, or are comfortable with.
Why?
Partly because of all we addressed earlier, but another reason is because God wants us to not only stand in awe of Him, but also trust Him and be passionate about Him.
God doesn’t want to have a formula that we just go through and begin to take Him for granted. God doesn’t want us to think we’ve got Him all figured out. He wants us to stay in a place of love, awe, trust, and dependence. He doesn’t want us to get stagnant and loose our passion for Him.
God is a person, not a vending machine. We have a tenancy to forget that, and so our “prayer lives” typically become the approach to the machine and the deposit of the money and the pressing of the buttons to get what we want.
God wants our “prayer lives” to be a conversation, and our lifestyle to be in “relationships” with Him. Yes, He wants to bless us and do things for us, in us, and through us, but in the context of relationship, not ritual or mechanism. And when God does do “His thing” in our lives He wants to do it His way and He wants us to trust Him that His way is the BEST way. It will be bigger and better than anything that we could do on or own or ask Him to do for us, but our way.
As I look back over my life of following Jesus I first have to say thank you to God for all the times He DIDN’T answer my prayers the way I wanted Him to. I thought I knew, but man I didn’t have a clue. Praise God He answered my prayers His way. Secondly I have to say that it is in those experiences of God answering my prayers His way that I’ve experienced the great adventure and joy of following Jesus. This things is so much bigger and more amazing and more awesome than we understand.
So, we may not always understand, or be comfortable, but we can always trust and follow knowing that God loves to play outside the box impressing His people and the world, wooing our hearts, and making this relationship the most exciting thing in the Universe for all eternity!
It made me think about the series we are doing at church right now through the Christmas season, called “Ordinary”. We’re looking at the fact that God is in the business of taking ordinary people and circumstance and doing extraordinary things. In other words, God loves to “play outside the box.”
We all have a box, a set of boundaries and parameters that limit who God is and how God works. We all have this understanding and list of expectations of what we think God is like, how He would or would not do things, and so on. What I have found is that God likes to frequently do things outside of the parameters of what I know, understand, and am comfortable with. He loves to break out of the limitations and restrictions I tend to place on Him in my life and the world. The question is… Why? Does he just do it because He can? Is He a show off? Is there a reason for it? Yes. I’ll explain, but before I do, let me prove first that God likes to play outside the box.
1Corinthians 1:20, 27-31 20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
If ever it’s taught that God likes to work out of the box it is here in this scripture. Why? Partly to “show off”, to display His greatness, power, and wisdom, partly because He can and wants to so that our lives can be better, and partly because He wants us to see we can’t do it on our own, we need Him, and He alone is the answer.
We see all these things here, plus in other scriptures that reference God’s miracles as “signs and wonders”. What is a sign? It’s a message that “shows off” something good about a thing or place to get your attention so you’ll partake. It’s not the real thing, but it points you to the real thing.
God frequently defies our natural logic, understanding, comfort zone, and ways of doing things.
He calms storms with a word. He walks on water and enables others to do so. He casts demons out of people with a word. He made a lame man walk with a word. He healed a blind man by putting mud made of spit and dirt on the guys eyes. He enabled one disciple to survive boiling vats of oil without any harm, while He led another to lay down his life and be crucified for the faith. He provided for His servant through ravens. He cause a jar of oil to not run out for a very long time. He made an ax head float. He had His servant marry a prostitute. He had His servant lay naked for years on one side, only to tell him to flip and do it on the other side for a while. He used a pagan king to execute His judgment. He parted the Red Sea so His people could pass through on dry ground. He caused a virgin to be pregnant without the involvement of a man. He established His rule as King of the universe by entering our world as a humble servant and sacrifice.
Here’s another example of God playing out of the box.
Job 33:14 For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it.
As I understand this scripture, it’s not that God doesn’t talk/speak, it’s that He doesn’t do it the same way each time and thus many don’t hear Him, perceive Him speaking, or get the message.
Again we see God playing outside the box, not wanting to be stuck in the limitations of what we can fathom, understand, or are comfortable with.
Why?
Partly because of all we addressed earlier, but another reason is because God wants us to not only stand in awe of Him, but also trust Him and be passionate about Him.
God doesn’t want to have a formula that we just go through and begin to take Him for granted. God doesn’t want us to think we’ve got Him all figured out. He wants us to stay in a place of love, awe, trust, and dependence. He doesn’t want us to get stagnant and loose our passion for Him.
God is a person, not a vending machine. We have a tenancy to forget that, and so our “prayer lives” typically become the approach to the machine and the deposit of the money and the pressing of the buttons to get what we want.
God wants our “prayer lives” to be a conversation, and our lifestyle to be in “relationships” with Him. Yes, He wants to bless us and do things for us, in us, and through us, but in the context of relationship, not ritual or mechanism. And when God does do “His thing” in our lives He wants to do it His way and He wants us to trust Him that His way is the BEST way. It will be bigger and better than anything that we could do on or own or ask Him to do for us, but our way.
As I look back over my life of following Jesus I first have to say thank you to God for all the times He DIDN’T answer my prayers the way I wanted Him to. I thought I knew, but man I didn’t have a clue. Praise God He answered my prayers His way. Secondly I have to say that it is in those experiences of God answering my prayers His way that I’ve experienced the great adventure and joy of following Jesus. This things is so much bigger and more amazing and more awesome than we understand.
So, we may not always understand, or be comfortable, but we can always trust and follow knowing that God loves to play outside the box impressing His people and the world, wooing our hearts, and making this relationship the most exciting thing in the Universe for all eternity!
Labels: box, Christmas, experiencing God, faith, Jesus, limitations, logic, machine, money, oil, prayers, prostitute, Universe, vending
posted by Pastor Mike @ 8:34 AM
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