God is messing with our boxes. I am especially talking about the boxes we tend to keep God in. We all have concepts of God as good or capricious, or some subtle combination of the two. In this season of physical distancing we have the opportunity to re-examine our relationships of all kinds. Our concepts of our Creator are on the top of His list for us to look at.
A friend wrote recently, “You have to listen to the Lord, even when it messes with your boxes.” I will shift it a bit to say “we must listen to the Lord, especially when it is messing with our boxes.” I do not believe God caused this pandemic, but neither did God stop it. That pushes me to ask a lot of questions. Since I know intellectually and experientially many things about the character of God, and they are all good and unchanging, I am the one who needs the cross examination. (That may be a whole different topic for another day.)
Whatever we knew to be certain before the pandemic, has been and is being, shaken. What do we do when the things we thought were certain, no longer are? Have you learned anything new to you about God during this season of physical distancing? How has God messed with Your boxes? Since your pre-pandemic routine was thrown out, is there any area God has highlighted in your life? Why not continue that conversation with Creator?
I believe one reason Our Creator has permitted this turn of events is to capture our attention. It’s as if He has taken every face in His hands, gently pulling us nose to nose, as He says, “Nothing else will do. I am the solution to everything. Come away with Me.” When I accepted the invitation to enter in, I heard clearly 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
Creator is infinite and intimate. Our boxes for God are too small and probably in disorder. They need rearranging and sometimes smashing. Our God is multifaceted, but we are often too distracted to notice His glory. As we begin to come out of seclusion I am certain he is not finished messing with our boxes.
It is for each one of us to choose if we will fight the new, or welcome the new that Creator has for us. We are on a wild ride. He promises to never leave us. Hang on to HIM and don’t be afraid to join the new thing. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is inviting us into. After all, it is ultimately about HIM, not us.
“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 1:18-20
