Our Family

Our Family

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

God in a box

I have started going through the book, Lord I want to know You, by Kay Arthur in a small group bible study at church. We started it about a week ago and I am really starting to see how easy it is to put the complex God into such a small box that makes sense to my little world. The book takes the names of God and breaks them down into their meanings and what that means for us as we get to know Him better. These thoughts will be somewhat scattered and I am not sure I even have a point to what I am writing, I'm just trying to process some of this new information in my finite little mind. The first name is Elohim. This name designates God as creator. In Hebrew the El means God and the Him is plural, indicating more than one. The whole concept of the trinity is a hard one, but through this book and 2 others I have read over the last few weeks I am starting to see the 3 distinct persons more clearly, that they are really 3 distinct persons......but still one God. Still working on this one..... There have been a few verses that we have read that have initially been disturbing for me, again, I am feeling like my "God Box" is being opened and expanded, so I am working through some of these new thoughts. I know that God is sovereign and that He is good, and there is no bad in Him, so I know these following verses are all good. Exodus 4:10 "Moses said to the Lord, 'Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in times past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue'". God's reply Ex 4:11 "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Then jump to the new testament, John 9:2-3 "and his disciples asked Him saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?'" Jesus' reply "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him". Wow, God takes the credit for the disabilities in people. Hard for me to grasp, but I know He is good. Next eye opener to me comes from Isaiah. The name for God in this particular section is El Elyon - The Most High God, talking about His control over everything we could possibly imagine, from kings and rulers to birds in the air. Isaiah 45: 6-7 "I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these". Again, huh????? He creates calamity and takes credit for it. My box is definitely way too small. He is much bigger than I can wrap my little head around, but I am praying that He continues to show me more of who He really is. Lastly, today we read in Job and it talks about God and Satan talking about Job. The first confusing thing to me was in Job 1:6 it says "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them". I can't figure out why Satan chose to go before the Lord, then he does it again later in the chapter. It seems after looking at this that God and Satan actually have a relationship of some kind. Hmmmmm........ The more you learn, the more questions there are! I am so thankful that through all the questions I have, I can trust that He is good, He is in control and He loves us.

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