Into the Fire

For the purpose of this post I’m going to give you the second and third definitions of the word “manufacture”: To create, produce, or turn out in a mechanical manner; 3.To concoct or invent; fabricate.

Most of us cannot conceive of our God. Yes, we know He is all powerful, everywhere all the time, and He knows all things past, present, and future. Well, we believe this about Him, but we cannot know it in the way we can touch our nose or hug our loved one or scream at the spotting of a gargantuan spider on the wall. We accept that our God, this One who loved us enough to allow His Son Jesus Christ to take our punishment for sin and then resurrect Him so we could trust ourselves to His care, can do anything He wants to do except for what He says is impossible for Him to do such as to lie, to do evil, and/or to tempt us to do evil.

We know God is love, justice, the way, the truth, the life, perfection. In other words He is “it”. Everything we could hope to know that is holy, righteous, and the giver of “good and perfect” gifts. Faultless and flawless. Jealous for our love but not enough to override our wills.

So. Why is it that so many want to change Him? We want to manufacture Him to be the God who gives us wealth, health, a limitless boundary so we can partake of what the world has to offer us when we decide, and we don’t want anything bad to happen to us or to our loved ones. We might decide to receive a little correction if we really blow it, but most of the time we don’t want to have to answer up for sinful behavior. After all, it wasn’t that bad. By the time we’ve recreated God, we’ve got a sugar daddy who lets us always have our way and stays out of our lives except when we need to be rescued from one of our typical bonehead fiascos.

We decide we hate God when our sick loved one dies after we prayed and fasted for the healing. We will never love God again because our husband or wife ran off with the neighbor. We can’t accept that a loving God would allow our son/daughter to die in combat or at the hands of a murderer. And we’re madder than hell because God didn’t do what we asked of Him. He is not the God we loved or wanted or thought he was!

That’s true. He is not. He’s not a cardboard God constructed of your imaginary corrugated paper. He owes you nothing, but He offers eternal life. Repeatedly He warns you this life is tough. A sin-filled world takes some ugly, heartbreaking shots at you. But if you ask Him to belong to you, He’ll not leave your side during the traumas and tragedies. He has a purpose for all the pain, one that He doesn’t have to show you or share with you, but He inevitably does if you’re listening or living for Him. He’s not your puppet, your slave, your servant in the sense that He’s obligated to do everything you ask of Him. He provided His death and resurrection to serve you where you needed it most. His servant-hood is done. Yours has just begun.

I’m weary of the manufacturing of God taking place in today’s world. Rearranging who He is to suit the demands of people who appear to be dissatisfied with His biblical revelation of Himself. They want the Love part but not the Justice part. They want the wealth part without the sacrifice part. They want all the fluff without the suffering. Please. If you don’t want the One True God, take the god of this world. He’ll lead you down the road of promises and drop you off at hell’s door.

When you start modifying what His word states, what has held up unwavering through centuries, you’re messing with something so much bigger than all the powers of this earth. He doesn’t have to make concessions for you or for anyone. He wrote the Book of Life. You didn’t. You choose His way or the infamous highway to hell. You can joke and snicker about it, but it won’t be funny one day.

Love Him or leave Him. He won’t force you to do either. Just don’t manufacture a phony version of Him. It won’t stand up to the real thing: the God who is a consuming fire.

Lord God Almighty. You are. I am not. Jesus, thank you for rescuing me. Holy Spirit, I need you moment to moment.