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Thursday, May 24, 2007

The God We Serve

I wrote this on 21 October 2006.


YOU are my God
You ARE my God
You are MY God
You are my GOD

Yesterday I was praying and this phrase just kept repeating in my mind. As I stressed each word I thought of the meaning of each word. I began to think about each of these statements and I let my mind run with all that they imply. It was as if I let my mind out of a starting gate and let it just run with the idea. One meaning would lead to another and I found myself lost in the understanding of my God and my relationship with Him. I found this simple statement took me to all the truths of the bible, it encompassed it all.

YOU are my God – He is God, He alone. It establishes the relationship and our roles. Both of which are important to a successful life as a believer. One of the skills we teach in fighters is how to fight 2 v 1. In other words two good guys against one bad guy. One of the most important skills is to first establish our roles. Who is engaged and who is supporting. There are certain duties for each role that must be fulfilled for us to successfully fight and win, and this must be done first. In the same way in our relationship with God we have to determine who is serving whom? Sounds easy, but this is a major stumbling block for believers and a favorite scheme of Satan. Are we here to be served or are we here to serve? The simple statement of “you are my God” establishes the roles and the relationship. You are God and I am not.

You ARE my God – presence tense, He is my God. Like putting a stake in the ground, the affirmation of my faith, it implies action and faith.

You are MY God – Yes he is my God, a personal God with whom I have a relationship that implies permanence. Let your mind try to grasp that we have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe! It almost blows a fuse in my mind to try to grasp the meaning of those words, He cares for us, He loves us, and He is with us.

You are my GOD – Yes you are God! Not a thought, not a wish, but God, holy, perfect, creator, awesome, righteous, just, sovereign, Ancient of Days ,the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the uncreated one. He sits on his throne, as judge of His creation, He is in control. He will return in might and power to judge this world. He gives authority to whomever He pleases, whenever He pleases. He is so holy we cannot even look upon Him. He is the keeper of my soul, who knew me in my mother’s womb. I let my mind run with all God is, and I felt myself needing to bow. This very God sent His Son to pay my sin debt, to atone for my sin, to suffer not just the physical pain of death but the pain of separation from the Father. And He did this for me.

It was very humbling. And when my mind could not grasp His majesty any more I found myself starting over with the phrase. The more I thought of who I served the more profound it was that He was my God. The more I understood what I have been given the more I understood the bible. It words leaped off the pages in a new clarity. I began to see that as simple as the Word of God is it is beautifully complex as well. That you can read it once and meet your maker and be saved speaks to the simplicity of the message. That you can spend the rest of your life studying the Bible always learning more about God and the harmony of the Old and New Testament speaks to its complexity.

It is impossible for our minds to fully understand God, and for that reason we can’t let our minds define God. It just robs Him of all He is and all He can be and He wants to do in our life.

My Prayer is I will know God more today then I did yesterday, but not as much as I will know Him tomorrow.

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