And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.”
~Genesis 1:29
It is a treasure and a challenge when God speaks to you.
The treasure is God Himself. Powerful. Awesome. Fearful and fearless. God, who created the universe. God, who made and saved me. This is the God who—for His own reasons—comes and sits beside me. I mean, really. How can it possibly get any better than that –- A God who speaks to you.
The challenge, also, is God Himself. Present. Faithful. Compassionate and gracious. God, who made and saved me. God who comes to me. And whispers in His quiet voice, “Listen. Do this.”
Last summer, I read a devotion by Bible teacher Christine Caine called “A Necessary Decision.” As soon as my eyes saw the words, my body stilled and I took a breath. Here’s why:
“…there comes a moment in every person’s life when we have to decide to make what Jesus did for us and what the Word says about us bigger than what any one else has done or said about us.”
Bigger than what any one has done or said. Bigger than my immediate family dying and leaving me alone? Bigger than being rejected by those I thought cared for me? Bigger than my daily health struggles? Bigger, than seeing the man I thought I would marry, marry someone else?
The questions lingered.
Could that really happen for me? Could I truly see Jesus as “bigger”? Bigger than all my self-doubt? Bigger than my fears? Bigger than all the pain, failings, and sorrows I kept hidden inside?
I kept reading:
“It isn’t easy. It isn’t without pain. But it is necessary if you’re going to drop the chains of your past and walk in freedom toward your future.”
Even now the words hold me. Their truth speaks to me. God speaks to me—cutting through all the hurt and anxiety and negative self-talk. God, who made me and saved me and continues to draw me closer to Him. My big God…
Last summer, I shared how we often find seeds along the way of our journey of healing. These nuggets of encouragement are meant to strengthen and nourish us. They push us toward our goal of spiritual health and wholeness. Living pieces of potential, they hold great promise. If we plant them, we and others can reap the benefits of what they produce.
Let’s not miss out on what God has given us. Let’s allow God’s Word and His presence to be bigger than any thing or any one in our lives. Ourselves included. We may feel anxious. We may feel inadequate. We may feel confused. But God—our God—can handle our feelings. He can handle us and all our stuff.
Our big God.
