Figuring God Out

Raise your hand if you have God figured out. I’m guessing none of you raised your hand. God isn’t the easiest to understand, and yet, that doesn’t mean He doesn’t want us to know Him.

He doesn’t mean to be confusing, and yet, it can be hard for us to fully understand.

Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. (Psalm 119:105, CEB)

Can you imagine one day waking up and the “light” was shining on a path where, when taken, your neighbors would think you were having a nervous breakdown?

Think of Noah.

13 God said to Noah, “The end has come for all creatures, since they have filled the earth with violence. I am now about to destroy them along with the earth, (Genesis 6, CEB)

What does Noah say to this? Did Noah see the earth in this way? Did he understand, or even agree, with what God was saying?

Then God continues to tell Noah there is work for him to do.

14 so make a wooden ark. Make the ark with nesting places and cover it inside and out with tar. 15 This is how you should make it: four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. 16 Make a roof for the ark and complete it one foot from the top. Put a door in its side. In the hold below, make the second and third decks. (Genesis 6, CEB)

Noah’s world would come to a stop as he knows it. His peace would come in doing the work, driven by his desire to protect his family, and listen to God.

17 “I am now bringing the floodwaters over the earth to destroy everything under the sky that breathes. Everything on earth is about to take its last breath. 18 But I will set up my covenant with you. You will go into the ark together with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. 19 From all living things—from all creatures—you are to bring a pair, male and female, into the ark with you to keep them alive. 20 From each kind of bird, from each kind of livestock, and from each kind of everything that crawls on the ground—a pair from each will go in with you to stay alive. 21 Take some from every kind of food and stow it as food for you and for the animals.” (Genesis 6, CEB)

God all but says, “Noah, through you, all of creation will be saved, to seek to continue life as I know it can be.”

The sentence that always stands out to me the most is this one,

22 Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him. (Genesis 6, CEB)

I don’t share this story to bring to mind all the times you feel like you didn’t listen as Noah did here.   

As I think about Noah’s story, I reflect, and I wanted to share with you as a reminder to not be so hard on yourself. God’s grace is sufficient, and He forgives. You can forgive yourself too. 

You aren’t supposed to have God all figured out. Everything doesn’t have to make sense. And yes, you can look foolish at times too.

Blessings,

Pastor Matt