Some see God as a favorite teddy bear—soft, silent, and snuggled beside them; and, paired with a generous genie, housed in a prayer lamp. Rub the lamp. Make a wish. And… POOF! Watch for a gentle nod of approval.
Sorry. That version won’t hold.
The God of Scripture is not a fuzzy sentimental mascot or a cosmic wish granter. He is a Radical, Relentless Lover… the kind who refuses to leave us comfortable, complacent, or unchanged. He is an Uncompromising Truth Teller… the kind who loves us enough to shoot straight, loves us too much to lie to us.
This God doesn’t simply soothe; He summons. He doesn’t just affirm; He confronts. He doesn’t just bless our plans; He reorders our heart, reorganizes our thoughts, revamps our decisions, choices, and action.
Love like this is not tame. Grace like this is not mamby-pamby. Truth like this (sometimes) picks up a scalpel… to heal, to help, to free, to make whole.
If all we want is comfort, affirmation, and three wishes, we miss transformation. The God who loves relentlessly is the same God who tells the truth courageously. And this reckless love, paired with this unshakable truth, is what changes us from the inside out.
So this morning—This Hump Day—don’t bring a wish list. Bring a willing heart. Don’t ask God to always keep you just comfortable or even safe… but maybe, ask to be faithful, to be strong, to be bold, even if it costs you something.
Ours is not a teddy bear God.
Ours is not a genie in a lamp Deity.
Ours is a Holy God.
And This God… This Almighty One… Our God… is very, very good.
Prayer
God of unfailing love and piercing truth,
meet me here today… not with what is easy, but with what is right, what is best. Love me enough to challenge me, to tell me and to teach me the truth, even when it unsettles me. I surrender my comfort for the richness of Your transformation.
In the name of the One who forwent comfort for calling and mission… Amen.
__________
For Best Things…
Craig
EXIT 7 Living 
Leave a comment