The Flood

October 11, 2008 · Filed Under love · Comment 

It’s still a fascinating concept if you think about—God restricting his power on the earth and limiting it through us. What a sobering concept!

Psalm 78:41 says, “Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Wow, the Israelites tempted God and limited him. They limited God. How was that? Through their unbelief, they limited God.

I was talking to my son the other day about this concept of how God needs us, and how throughout the Bible, God would not do anything unless it was in cooperation with a person. Immediately, my son said, “Well, what about the Flood?”

Hmmm? Good question.

So, I re-read the Flood story, looking specifically for an instance where someone prayed for judgement or some sort of human interaction. Obviously, Noah was found righteous and instructed to build the boat, but did God consult Noah beforehand? Here’s what I found in Genesis:

    But Noah found favor with the LORD. This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. (Genesis 6:8-9).

It doesn’t say specifically that Noah prayed and God responded with the Flood, but it does indicate some human interaction and possible intercession. It says that Noah “enjoyed a close relationship with [God]“. I think it’s very likely that God and Noah were talking about the current state of humanity throughout the earth, and God’s heart grieved that he ever created Man. But, Noah was there, by his side, talking with God.

Even at the Flood, I believe God consulted a human on what to do, and it was through that same man that God saved all of humanity.

When you think about it, if God had not limited himself years ago with the initial creation of Adam, he could have easily wiped out the earth and started over from scratch again. But, he couldn’t. His irrevocable laws and principles were in place already. He chose to limit himself through them.

What does God want to do through you?

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It’s all about love

August 26, 2008 · Filed Under love · Comment 

If there is one thing I hear the most when I hear God speak, it’s this, “I love you, son. I love you so much.”

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God–for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

When I talk about hearing God, you will often hear me say, “It’s all about love.” You see, according to the above verse, God is love. So, if he is love, then everything he says to us is filtered through his love, through himself.

There was a season early in my journey with God where I asked him to show me how much he really loves me. During those days, he would often show me glimpses of his love for me.

I remember this one time specifically. I was upstairs in this office having some quiet time, praying and listening. It was pouring down rain outside. Downpour.

As I looked out the window, I had this thought, Each drop of rain is like a lens, a prism. You can see through it. And, since each drop of rain is a slightly different shape, each drop of rain gives you a different perspective. Then, God spoke, “Son, with every drop of rain in this downpour, I look at you with a different perspective of love. I see you through each rain drop, and I love you that many different ways.

I sure felt loved that day. God’s deep love for us goes beyond anything we can measure or understand. Even when we mess up, he loves us. Even when we fail him, he loves us. Even when we lose hope, he loves us.

Here’s the rest of that scripture in 1 John 4:

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (v. 9-10).

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