World Maker
How does one introduce God to a world of people who are quite content not to know Him? How can I say, "you can't live without Him," when that is exactly what they seem to be doing quite well? I hardly seem to be the right person to deliver a godly message when my behavior is so very ungodly at times.
I was thinking about it on my drive home tonight. I sense that God wants me to reach out to people to tell them about Him. And please understand I don't mean to sound so blindly evangelical here. I am not so good a witness, nor I confess, do I fall in step politically with the religious right (or is it left? I never can keep that straight.) I could care less about who is impressed by my Come To Jesus scorecard. I hardly see myself force feeding someone the Sinner's Prayer before skipping off into the sunset of good deeds.
It's just that I have, for a while now, been coming to know God. Not know OF Him. Not repeat the mantra "for God so loved the world..." and expect repentance to send folks falling prostrate for salvation like dominoes. No. Rather I have been spending time with God. I have been getting to know Him. I have been letting Him in more and more. I have let Him change me. Though still not hardly enough. But it has been enough that I am overwhelmed by His sheer goodness.
I heard someone say once, that people don't want to believe in God, because if they did then they would have to change. But that's hardly true. You can believe in God your whole life and not change one tiny bit. Knowing that Mt. Everest exists doesn't make you a mountaineer. Climbing it, however, will change you forever. This is how it is with God. We must set out to scale His heights or die trying, and we all die trying for His heights are infinite. But the encounter is the thing that changes us. This is what has changed me. Is changing me.
Oh, do not think me holy, or good, or in any way pious. I am not. But I am falling in love and I cannot... do not want to stop. He is lovely, good and tender. He is fearsome and mighty. His violence creates continents and His mercy topples injustice. But this is vague, too vague for the one who searches for some nameless meaning in life. Too vague for the one who does not search at all.
So I will begin with me. I am worthless. My self esteem is quite intact, I assure you. But compared to Him I am nothing. Less than nothing. And yet He loves me. God has spoken His love to me in a thousand intimate and lovely ways. Not just in the words of the Bible. But even more so in little things, a random kindness, a stranger sent to comfort me in my time of need, a perfectly timed answer to prayer, a command to do good, a conviction of wrong doing. Always so loving and full of mercy that I am as astounded that He would take the time even to speak to me, as I am at the magnitude of His grace.
Oh, I am failing! I am failing to impart the beauty of one so breathtakingly lovely. Forgive me if you do not like poetry. For I now fall back to my poets heart to sing of one who loves me far better than I deserve.
If you could only see the love He pours into me! He fills me to overflowing. I grieve for the overflow, for it is lost in part because I have not emptied myself of lesser things, and in part because even a perfect void within me could not contain Him. Oh, my heart aches that such love would go unrecognized and unreceived by those whose poverty it is not to know Him and those whose crime it is to know Him and not abandon themselves utterly to His heart.
Abandon. This is the word God spoke to my heart today. Abandon. Surrender. Let go of everything. Give it all to Him. I do not call on anyone else here. It is only the beam in my own eye that I speak of. If you only knew the love He has shown me, you would pity me that I had not instantly given up the whole of self to love Him back. I am a wreck. But I am loved, even this wreck of a soul. For He knows I am climbing this mountain on my hands and knees. Clawing my way higher.
How many Christians will tell you what to believe? So many will. But doctrine is empty and futile without His touch. The presence of God is the only fullness, the only purpose. Oh seek Him out! This one that I have discovered an inkling of... He is so precious.
Ah! My weak words, forgive me Lord. I love You so. But I love You not nearly enough! If I could but love You more, perhaps I could hear You more clearly and speak Your message more honestly and with more eloquence. Even poetry is limp compared to You. If only I could tell the world of this Love that You are!
Do you know the World Maker?
The life giver, the soul shaker.
Do you know the World Maker?
The truth bringer, the lie breaker.
The wound healer, the sin taker.
Do you know the World Maker?
The tide turner, the earth quaker.
The light giver, the way maker.
The heart mender, the dead waker.
Do you know the World Maker?
I was thinking about it on my drive home tonight. I sense that God wants me to reach out to people to tell them about Him. And please understand I don't mean to sound so blindly evangelical here. I am not so good a witness, nor I confess, do I fall in step politically with the religious right (or is it left? I never can keep that straight.) I could care less about who is impressed by my Come To Jesus scorecard. I hardly see myself force feeding someone the Sinner's Prayer before skipping off into the sunset of good deeds.
It's just that I have, for a while now, been coming to know God. Not know OF Him. Not repeat the mantra "for God so loved the world..." and expect repentance to send folks falling prostrate for salvation like dominoes. No. Rather I have been spending time with God. I have been getting to know Him. I have been letting Him in more and more. I have let Him change me. Though still not hardly enough. But it has been enough that I am overwhelmed by His sheer goodness.
Oh, do not think me holy, or good, or in any way pious. I am not. But I am falling in love and I cannot... do not want to stop. He is lovely, good and tender. He is fearsome and mighty. His violence creates continents and His mercy topples injustice. But this is vague, too vague for the one who searches for some nameless meaning in life. Too vague for the one who does not search at all.
So I will begin with me. I am worthless. My self esteem is quite intact, I assure you. But compared to Him I am nothing. Less than nothing. And yet He loves me. God has spoken His love to me in a thousand intimate and lovely ways. Not just in the words of the Bible. But even more so in little things, a random kindness, a stranger sent to comfort me in my time of need, a perfectly timed answer to prayer, a command to do good, a conviction of wrong doing. Always so loving and full of mercy that I am as astounded that He would take the time even to speak to me, as I am at the magnitude of His grace.
Oh, I am failing! I am failing to impart the beauty of one so breathtakingly lovely. Forgive me if you do not like poetry. For I now fall back to my poets heart to sing of one who loves me far better than I deserve.
If you could only see the love He pours into me! He fills me to overflowing. I grieve for the overflow, for it is lost in part because I have not emptied myself of lesser things, and in part because even a perfect void within me could not contain Him. Oh, my heart aches that such love would go unrecognized and unreceived by those whose poverty it is not to know Him and those whose crime it is to know Him and not abandon themselves utterly to His heart.
Abandon. This is the word God spoke to my heart today. Abandon. Surrender. Let go of everything. Give it all to Him. I do not call on anyone else here. It is only the beam in my own eye that I speak of. If you only knew the love He has shown me, you would pity me that I had not instantly given up the whole of self to love Him back. I am a wreck. But I am loved, even this wreck of a soul. For He knows I am climbing this mountain on my hands and knees. Clawing my way higher.
How many Christians will tell you what to believe? So many will. But doctrine is empty and futile without His touch. The presence of God is the only fullness, the only purpose. Oh seek Him out! This one that I have discovered an inkling of... He is so precious.
Ah! My weak words, forgive me Lord. I love You so. But I love You not nearly enough! If I could but love You more, perhaps I could hear You more clearly and speak Your message more honestly and with more eloquence. Even poetry is limp compared to You. If only I could tell the world of this Love that You are!
Do you know the World Maker?
The life giver, the soul shaker.
Do you know the World Maker?
The truth bringer, the lie breaker.
The wound healer, the sin taker.
Do you know the World Maker?
The tide turner, the earth quaker.
The light giver, the way maker.
The heart mender, the dead waker.
Do you know the World Maker?
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