Various thought trains bring me back to the discussion between God and Moses when Moses was asking “Whom should I say sent me?” God’s answer is vital to know and understand.
Exodus 3:14 (KJV) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.The verb “I am” is the root for the noun, Yahweh or Jehovah, which is the given name of God. If I were dealing with my urban middle school students they would say, “I is” or “I be.” It seems like a simple point, but it is so central. It establishes that God’s own description of himself is His existence, and by existing, He is a real personal being.
Too often, we try to reduce God to a formula or a poster, or a recipe that we can handle and manipulate. It’s much easier to say, “All I need for eternal life is to pray a prayer” then it is to walk in a living relationship with a living God. Formulas are nice if you’re not nursing your baby but they don’t come anywhere near the intimate contact that breast-feeding provides. I also remind myself of the other end, the diaper changing. We always used cloth diapers when our kids were young. We didn’t have to pay for utilities in our situation so it worked out cheaper but our real purpose was that we felt it was better for the baby than the throwaways of the day. What paid off for me were the games and the interaction that went on while changing those diapers. They were great times, really. I am not just exaggerating, nor is my memory faulty.
In the same way we interact with God in every area of life. It’s not just a matter of going to church on Sunday morning. It’s not just a matter of reading through the Bible every year, or a chapter a day. I do read through Proverbs every month. I read through Psalms every five months. Those are routines I have established, not because they carry merit, but because they open up doors in which God, the living God, can speak to me.
The thief on the cross was very fortunate, because he was moments away from death when Jesus extended the hand of grace and acceptance to him. He didn’t have to worry about tomorrow. The Philippian jailer, who asked, “What must I do to be saved?” was in a different situation. That’s why Paul spent time afterwards teaching him the scriptures and about how to live a godly life.
God is. While it’s true that He was and will be, keep in mind that He is. Now. Make Him a part of your daily routine.
homo unius libri
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