The snow, the vapour, and the stormy wind fulfil His word. Are our acts and thoughts lighter and wilder than these -- that we should forget it? ~John Ruskin
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. Genesis 1:9
Have you ever felt like God was calling you to do something? or telling you to act?
Did you listen?
When reading a verse such as this (a well-known, oft-read verse that sounds very similar to verses before and after it), it is very easy to fall into a trap. The trap I am talking about is that of simply reading and continuing on to the next verse, just as you would any other book.
The biggest problem, however, is that the Bible is not like any other book.
But how do you read it differently?
To start, you can recognize the importance that each sentence can have in your life. As the Word of God, it is as powerful and influential as He is powerful and influential. It is so important that it cannot be simply read -- it needs to be understood. Let's dive in!
So, what is actually going on in this verse? What is being described for us?
A simple description is: God told nature to do something, and nature responded by obeying.
It sounds simple and easy, right? God speaks, obedience follows.
It is, however, a bit more complicated. Let me explain what I mean.
If you were to walk to the edge of a river and tell it to reverse its flow, would anything happen? Surely you understand that the answer is 'no' (especially if you decided to try). There are a few reasons for this. First, man does not possess the authority over the entirety of nature (animals, yes) that would give any sort of importance to such a command. God, however, as the Creator of the entirety of nature, possesses the high authority and importance which calls forth obedience for His commands.
Another reason would be that water itself does not have the power to change its flow. It is governed by a set of laws (which we define as gravity and a bunch of other equations) over which it has no authority or control. Even if water tried to change its flow, nothing would happen unless someone with authority provided the power to do so. For nature (and all of creation), God is the one with that power.
Applying these thoughts to the verse we just read, what can we learn about God?
- God holds the highest authority over everything,
because He is the Creator of everything. - God's commands hold the highest level of importance
and therefore should be followed - God has power that is above all "laws"
God created all of the governing "laws" for creation. Just as He lives outside of His creation, He works and acts outside of the "laws" surrounding His creation.
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
If you notice, God did not need to repeat His command before it was followed. To make certain God's commands for our lives are followed just as resolutely, we need to be listening for His commands. To be certain we are not missing what God is saying to us, we must be actively listening for Him to speak. One great way to do this is to set aside prayer time where you cease your run-on monologue and wait for God to respond. God loves when you share your thoughts with Him, but a conversation requires both speaking and listening.
Another great way is to set aside a few hours (at least once a week, preferably) to ignore the busy-ness of life and spend alone time with God.
This verse can also help us remember that, when we are called to endure difficult or complicated situations, God is the one who needs to act for anything to happen. It is only through the power of God that we can succeed in fulfilling His commands.
Our weaknesses and struggles cannot hinder the plans of God.
This is an insightful post. I often find myself skimming through verses that are familiar or seem simplistic, when in fact, I should be meditating on them, and finding a deeper understanding.
ReplyDelete