I Spy God

A friend of ours packed up his belongings to move from southeast Asia back to Canada. One problem was his bike. As he pondered how to ship it, a deaf mute living in the same apartment complex came along. He watched for a minute and then gave the universal “I have a good idea” sign. He rushed out and came back with an empty flat screen television box. The bike fit perfectly inside and was soon on its journey to a faraway home.

In the OT Exodus, the journey of God’s people was not as far, but it was a difficult one. Theologians compare their journey to the spiritual journey of a sinner going from slavery to sin to the freedom God offers in a new “land” of promise. However, those ancient Israelite were often reluctant travelers and stubborn. God said to them, “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

When the people heard these disastrous words, “They mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, ‘Say to the people of Israel, “You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.” (Exodus 33:4–6)

Comparing this to my spiritual journey, I am aware of the need to remove enhancements. I must take off all layers of attempts to make myself look better to people, even to God, than I am. This is part of what it means to be a Christian. We are to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith . . . .” (Hebrews 12:1–2)

Another part of that spiritual journey is even more startling. Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” (Exodus 33:18–20)

This points to the vital step of seeing God. Yes, I know He says that no one can see His face and live, but this part of my spiritual journey goes beyond a literal vision. Of course God does not have a ‘face’ for He is spirit and cannot be seen, at least with the eyes. However, there is a sense of seeing God for He reveals Himself to those He is seeking and saving. In that ‘seeing’ something amazing happens. It is described as regeneration, the new birth. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Colossians 3:3 is even more graphic: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” We are crucified with Christ and given new life in Christ. This is the beginning of living in God’s land of promise.

The next reading is that love story again, the story that pictures Jesus and His bride, the church. While I am amazed that God reveals Himself, I am also amazed that He became a man, came to earth making Himself visible, and allows us to see Him, I’m also amazed at the way He looks at us . . . “You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!” (Song of Solomon 4:9–10)

As I wonder at the way God reveals Himself and the way we are transformed by that revelation, the NT reading seems unrelated to those from the OT. It speaks of Jesus and a miracle. He feeds 5000 men plus women and children using the lunch of a boy. Here is a small piece of the story . . .  

Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. (John 6:5–13)

Does this have anything to do with seeing God? I nearly missed it, but of course it does. Here is God in the body of a man doing only what God can do — making something out of nothing, well, practically nothing. Who but God can multiply a very insignificant offering and use it to bless thousands? And now I remember the verse in Hebrews that says, “Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature . . . .” (Hebrews 1:3) This event from the life of Jesus reveals God. In Him I can see the God who looks at the needs of His people and meets them, often in unexpected ways and through unlikely people.

We once played a game called “I spy God.” At the end of each day, we shared the ways God revealed Himself to us that day. This game was revived in our home today, starting with a bike and a shipping container!

Try seeing it from God’s perspective

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . .” (Psalm 23:6)

It is easy to say this when life hands us roses, but what about those thorns? How can I think God is being merciful and good to me when my circumstances feel anything but? Do I have to be some sort of Pollyanna to see the bright side? Is this a ‘hope so’ statement from the Psalm? Or is it a ‘know so’ statement of faith? One thing God is teaching me (I’m a slow learner) is that faith requires a shift in perspective and a new value system. Faith means seeing life’s circumstances as God sees them.

Yesterday someone told us that African people all say, “The Christians come in, convert them, start churches, then leave.” They were not happy about being left on their own. But I’ve learned why missionaries do that. The new Christians and new churches need to be self-sustaining, depending on God and not on the resources of believers from countries that have “more” than they do. They also do not need these outsiders to control how they should live in their culture, but learn from God what He wants them to do. This perspective surprised the person whose opinion had been somewhat one-sided.

The Bible is filled with more examples of good coming out of what seems negative. Paul was in prison and the church at Philippi was concerned about him. However, he wrote them saying, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” (Philippians 1:12–13) Being in jail gave Paul opportunities to share Christ that he would not otherwise have had. Goodness was in the mind of God, not hardship, and Paul could see that.

It was the same when Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. He wound up a leader in Egypt and saved his entire family during a famine. After he moved them to Egypt they became anxious that he would retaliate, so they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”

However, Joseph had a different perspective. He “wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ‘Behold, we are your servants.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.’” (Genesis 50:16–20)

Often the goodness of God is seen only in hindsight. When I suffer or struggle, I wonder where God is, but He is with me in goodness and mercy anyway, always working “all things together for good” and always conforming my life “to the image of his Son” because this is His good and merciful plan.

He also says, “Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” and we have to respond, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:28–32)

The past year has been one of great struggle and great blessing. I’m still not able to fully see the plan of God in it. I’ve often wondered where His goodness and mercy is in all this. But because this is what the Good Shepherd promised for His sheep, I persevere. Rather than give up or despair, far better to cling to the One who persists in saying goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. 

Divine Junk Inspector

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

God already knows everything about me, so why ask Him to search and know me? It is because I need to know me. If God did not show me otherwise, my view of myself would be entirely false.

I think I know who I am and what I want. I have thoughts, dreams, desires that others cannot see, but I know them. Even if I keep these things to myself, it is plain that God knows all about them. 

Yet when I pray that God will search me, He first reveals how well He understands the state of my mind, my spiritual health, and what sort of ways I would behave in any circumstances. He brings me out of my own view by applying tests that let me see myself as He sees me. That is, He answers my prayer by using providential conditions and circumstances to show me parts of my character that I didn’t know even existed. His Spirit also links the situations He puts me in to the responses I have to those situations, revealing what He is trying to do in those situations — showing me who I really am. 

Sometimes I am shocked by what I see, but I should not be. I already know that apart from Jesus, I am a sinful creature, but in pride I tend to think that I will not do or think “grievous” things because I am already on “the way everlasting” toward becoming like Christ. That is true, but sin goes far deeper than I realize.

For example, when I pray to be searched, God may allow me to be severely criticized. Under this test, I might discover that He has developed in me the virtue of meekness. On the other hand, I am more likely to discover that I am quick to defend myself and affirm that I have a right to be angry and it is not my fault that I lost my temper. The test demonstrates whether I have the meekness and gentleness of Christ, or am clinging to my selfish ways and not trusting God to protect or change me.

Other tests could include God arranging that I am treated with neglect. This might even be sinful on the part of others, but it is my reactions that reveal truth about me. He might allow me to be treated with injustice or allow someone to lie to me. How will I respond? Will I be like Jesus? Often not.

Another test that is even more difficult, at least for me, is when God arranges that someone compliments me, puts me on a pedestal or gives me all sorts of attention. Will I respond in pride? Or will I humbly glorify God who is the source of all good things, including all blessings in my life?

My flaw, and the flaw I see in many Christians, is that we fail to make the connection between the events of life and the desire of God to use those events to show us how much we need Jesus. He wants me to see, acknowledge and confess my sinful responses and be cleansed. He wants me to thank Him for showing me my needy heart. Instead, I tend to point the finger at others for “making” me do something I shouldn’t. If not that, my lack of trust in God comes out when I start griping about whatever is not going my way. 

Asking God to search me reveals at least one more important reality — I’ve finally figured out that God has a far better read on how much junk is still in my heart than I do. Yet that does not make His inspection any easier nor does it make me more eager to have it happen.