What Are You Making God?

I lifted my most pressing heart’s desire to God, as I make a habit of doing on the Sabbath.  Later that day, He began answering me, as He often does on the Sabbath.

A new opportunity arose from someone in my congregation, and I was asked to participate.  Wow, I’d never thought of that idea, I didn’t even know we had those resources.  It was an obvious God-incidence in answer to my prayer.  I was excited about the prospect and what it could lead to.

Then the obstacles began to mount against my participation — to the point of impossibility.  Under my current circumstances there was no way I could participate in the project.

But this was my answer to prayer; this was God’s leading; I hadn’t made this up, it just dropped in my lap as God’s will sometimes does.

No matter how much I stewed, schemed, pondered and questioned God, there was no changing the situation.  The obstacles were completely outside my control.  I had to let the opportunity go.

I became discouraged at the fact that these obstacles not only barred me from this opportunity, but many others like it as well.  I felt I was actually further from my heart’s desire than when I first prayed the prayer just last Sabbath.

Who else might have felt this way?

I asked the question I often do when I’m seeking guidance:  Who in the Bible might have felt this way, and what did he or she do about it?  I thought of Abram.  He must have felt similarly in Genesis 15:

“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

‘Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.’

But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’  And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’”

He knew God had set him up with a great legacy, honor, reputation and riches, but it seemed like a dead-end with no one to share it with, no one to pass it on to, no way to keep these blessings within his lineage.  They would die with him or be dispersed among his servants.

As I pondered this story, I realized my mistake.  The obstacle is only in my way if it’s blocking the only path to the goal.  Just like Abram, I’m only seeing the beginning of God’s plans.  These obstacles were always there, they didn’t surprise God.  He didn’t take me down a dead-end road.  It only looks that way to me, because I’m only seeing the path right in front of me.  It’s easy to think that unless these specific things move or change, I cannot fulfill God’s leading.  But with that mindset, ultimately, I’ve made the obstacles my god.

But what happened to Abram?  God supernaturally provided an heir – something Abram thought was impossible.  What seemed like an insurmountable obstacle was easily overcome by God.

What did Abram have to do?  Believe and obey.  God didn’t ask him to make a way through the obstacles, or do everything in his power to remove the obstacles, or even to pray unceasingly about it.  All He asked is that Abram believe and obey.  That’s when God began to act on the next phase of His plan.

God basically said to Abram, “I’ve got this.  I’m bigger than what you see before you.  I’m God, remember?  There are no obstacles I can’t overcome.”  And that’s what He said to me.  “Don’t make the obstacles your god.  Your God is not stopped by these.  My purposes will be accomplished.  I am God.”

What are you making god in your situation?  Submit it to the one and only God, YHVH, and believe.  Then watch for His supernatural intervention.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21.