Seeking A Convenient God
Our lives have become so convenient in almost every way that many of us expect the same convenience when we deal with the God of Heaven. Unfortunately, that is not exactly how God plans or allows things to work. Why? God’s ways and thoughts are not the same as ours.
8For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Continuing on with the subject of human convenience, do you remember the last time you lost the TV remote control? Did you lose it for an extended period of time and have to cope with the nuisance of getting out of your chair and walking all the way over to the TV in order to push the buttons? Or, did you move the TV and chair closer together or simply purchase a new universal remote control?
Some of you reading this are probably old enough to remember when TV’s did not even have buttons. They had a knob to turn the channel and another, bigger knob or a rabbit ears antenna (including additional help from properly placed aluminum foil) to fine tune the station. Today we simply push a button on a hand-held remote and, voilà , the channel changes to one of several hundred stations.
Moreover, to satisfy our need for convenience, we also have microwaves, robotic vacuums, remote car starters, computers, iPods, cell phones and calculators. When was the last time you did long division on paper?
That being said, has life today become so convenient that we are looking for or seeking a convenient God – a God that will give us things on our schedule and make things as easy as possible for us? This question leads me to the following story.
Many years ago there was a Christian man, John, who was vice president of a highly successful construction company. One day he discovered that the reason the company was so successful was because the big wig, higher ups were involved in some illegal activities as well as being dishonest and cheating. They were paying off inspectors and using substandard materials. This, in turn, was how they were able to underbid all the other companies and still make a profit.
When John discovered what was happening, he confronted his boss. During the confrontation John was given two choices: cooperate or resign. John knew the convenient thing to do would have been to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he left his resignation and walked out the door. With that decision John knew his now former boss could blackball him in the industry, but he trusted in God and knew things would work out for the better in the end.
On a beautiful, sunny day approximately one week later John’s former boss called him and asked him to come back to work for his construction company. John, somewhat perplexed, asked him why. He told John that federal agents were in his office at that moment, he was being arrested and expected to go to jail and he knew John was the only person he could trust to manage his business properly until he could possibly return.
The moral of the story — John decided against what was convenient and put his faith and trust in God because he knew that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, and God did exactly that in the end by working all things together for good.
6But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
8We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
Now for some important questions we must ask ourselves in regards to following and living for God.
- What and how much are we willing to sacrifice for God and His kingdom?
- How much time are we willing to devote to studying and applying God’s Word?
- Are we willing to live it daily, not just Sunday — walk-the-walk, not just talk-the-talk?
Though inconvenient, these are questions we need to answer because we all reach a point in our lives that, even though we know in our hearts what God wants us to do, we do not see or understand how it can possibly work out — especially through our own human efforts and abilities.
In summary, when our finite human knowledge says, “this is the only way this will work,” but the infinite wisdom of God says differently, that is when we find out how much faith we have. It is at this defining moment that we must choose to follow God and His commandments, trusting and knowing that He will guide us to where we need to be.
5Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Simply stated, we must not waste our time seeking a convenient God, but instead wholeheartedly choose this day who we will serve.
God Bless!
“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible”
Print This Post (Printer-Friendly Version Opens in New Window/Tab)
Welcome back my friend! We hope and pray you continue to enjoy and learn from our website. God bless!
