What Could God do with YOU?

Here are some questions I’ve asked myself as this new year has begun:

Have you ever wondered what God is up to?
What is he actually doing that I’m missing?
What could he do if we turned our lives over to him to use as he pleases?

God gives me a lot of ideas. I don’t think they’re all mine, because some are better than I am. Some could be mine, like the ones about going to Disney World or laying on the beach somewhere else but here.

What is an idea anyway, and what are we supposed to do with them?  Have you wondered where ideas come from?  I haven’t before now, but I’ve got an “idea” about it.  God, the creator, had a lot of ideas and according to Genesis (the first book in the Bible).   We are created in His image. “Let us make man in our image.” (Who the “our” is is another topic altogether!) So, if we are made in God’s image, an idea is something God had first. We were, at one time, an idea. 

History seems to show that God has always loved adventure, as we read in the Bible. He made the angels and heavenly beings, and knowing all, even made one full of pride that would become an enemy to the good in the world. Why would he do this? Perhaps for adventure’s sake? He is the great story teller, the master of ideas, the guide of armies, and the wisdom of the prophets.

The book of Daniel the prophet tells in chapter 5 of King Belshezzar. This king was a great partier.  He loved himself and had wise men surrounding him who could advise him when he was perplexed. At a banquet he held for a 1000 of his friends, he flaunted the gold and silver goblets his father, King Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple of the Jews in Jerusalem. 

Then, in their ignorance, they praised the gods of gold and silver as they enjoyed their wine in these cups which had been dedicated to the the God of Israel.  Now, God is not a passive God. He may seem to be passive to some, because we often think of these things as stories, but this king’s rule is more than just a story.

Daniel 5:5-6 tells what happened,  

"Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.” 

If you want to find out what happened read the full Chapter here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=5&version=31.

How does this relate to ideas? We can have ideas and they may or may not related to God, but this God of the Bible does not just love adventure, he is righteous.   He does not change. He is still as powerful as the Book of Daniel illustrates AND he asks us to follow him.  He sent Jesus so we could get a better picture of who He is, since people had a veiled understanding and are hard hearted. 

How did he "enlighten" us?  Jesus said he had to go so that we could see things more clearly. How? ... though the Holy Spirit. This is the “WOW” moment of Pentecost. Have you read what happened through the Jesus followers after this “Holy Spirit” came and filled them? It’s incredible, they healed people just by speaking the name of Jesus. A man who begged at the temple daily asked Peter and John for money. They refused but, instead, told him that they could give him something better. “Get up and walk in the name of Jesus,” they told him. Believers and unbelievers saw it. I wish I could have been there, but that God, the “I AM” who defies description, is MY GOD.

So, back to the top.

What is He going to do?

I’ve asked him to let me know, but am a bit afraid to see the magnitude of it.

What is He actually doing that I’m missing?

Am I too busy thinking about my day-to-day life, using my own limited understanding to see what His hand is doing?

Lastly, the BIG question, the one that makes us willing players in the adventure. It’s scary, it’s daring and without facing it, the question of our being and purpose may go unanswered....

What could he do if we turned our lives over to him to use as he pleases?

With fear and trepidation, I’ve been asking Him that. I’ve been trying to listen, acting on ideas and watching.  I’m exhausted and, truthfully, have heard as much as I could stand to hear this week. Because of my limited faith, God has to ration how much I know.  We are truly fearful beings who lack trust. 

The love we have for others comes from a Creator who says he “is love”. He is not who we SAY He is, He IS who HE says He is. If you are really seeking truth, ask Him to show you what He asks of YOU. First He asks us to believe, not an easy task for a people who thrive on reason as their God. God is not reasonable, but He is inCREDible. His hand is orchestrating your life, whether you believe it or not. Wouldn’t you like to have an “idea” about why?