In 1952 J B Phillips published the book ‘Your God is Too Small’ and that title has always fascinated me as I relate God to my every day life. I can see his marvellous handiwork everywhere and really appreciate the beauty which surrounds me wherever I go, and the degree of difficulty in creating this beauty for which I have little comprehension, astounds me. Yet why do I still question God’s ability or desire to work in this world, our community or my life? Is my concept of God too small? I know I will have no magic answers but as I think about this question, these are some of the thoughts I have collected along the way.
In the Old Testament, God told the people that they were not to work on the Sabbath, not even their slaves nor their animals. Yet, I wonder how many brilliant sunshine Sabbaths there were, perfect for outdoor work, and which caused the people to be so very tempted to take the opportunity of the good weather, especially if the days before had been lousy. God had distinctly said ‘no’ to work on the Sabbath and if the people obeyed him, he would guarantee that they would prosper. I could imagine some very toey farmers/workers grumbling about not working while the opportunity was there because they didn’t really know if they could trust God to give them a good harvest. That to me would have been a very distinct test of whether my concept of God was too small.
Revelation 4 puts in perspective the majesty of God culminating with the song “You are worthy our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power....”, then in the next chapter “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.” This same God became a person and interacted with other people, yet how could the Pharisees and others not see God in the person of Jesus? That really astounds me. At some time in our lives, we all meet people whom we think are very special, but none would come anywhere near what Jesus must have been like. And still this loving caring Jesus could stand up to the Pharisees and say ‘look at me’ for he knew they could not point the finger at him and call him a hypocrite. How many people can do that in all honesty?
I see a typical example of this is in Luke 7 when a woman bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. The reaction of people present is quite interesting. The Pharisees were horrified showing their contempt for all they could see was this sinful woman in their presence; Jesus saw a person who needed love and forgiveness, and the woman? She experienced Jesus’ love and forgiveness, something she would never expect to receive from the Pharisees. I intensely dislike the current overuse of the word ‘awesome’ but it must have been awesome just being in the company of Jesus, let alone his speaking with you in person.
It is so important to remind ourselves of who God really is; Revelation helps remove the concept of a ‘gentle Jesus meek and mild’ but instead, points to the majesty and might of God, a God who must never be taken for granted. Once we start to comprehend the majesty and perfection of God, our understanding of him can start to grow and expand, leaving behind our small mindedness which is so easy to develop. We can easily create a God of limitations, but God wants to open our understanding to see him in his glory, power and majesty, yet capable of loving and caring for the people he has created.
How do you react to God? Do you see him as he really is, or....
Is your God too small?
In the Old Testament, God told the people that they were not to work on the Sabbath, not even their slaves nor their animals. Yet, I wonder how many brilliant sunshine Sabbaths there were, perfect for outdoor work, and which caused the people to be so very tempted to take the opportunity of the good weather, especially if the days before had been lousy. God had distinctly said ‘no’ to work on the Sabbath and if the people obeyed him, he would guarantee that they would prosper. I could imagine some very toey farmers/workers grumbling about not working while the opportunity was there because they didn’t really know if they could trust God to give them a good harvest. That to me would have been a very distinct test of whether my concept of God was too small.
Revelation 4 puts in perspective the majesty of God culminating with the song “You are worthy our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power....”, then in the next chapter “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.” This same God became a person and interacted with other people, yet how could the Pharisees and others not see God in the person of Jesus? That really astounds me. At some time in our lives, we all meet people whom we think are very special, but none would come anywhere near what Jesus must have been like. And still this loving caring Jesus could stand up to the Pharisees and say ‘look at me’ for he knew they could not point the finger at him and call him a hypocrite. How many people can do that in all honesty?
I see a typical example of this is in Luke 7 when a woman bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. The reaction of people present is quite interesting. The Pharisees were horrified showing their contempt for all they could see was this sinful woman in their presence; Jesus saw a person who needed love and forgiveness, and the woman? She experienced Jesus’ love and forgiveness, something she would never expect to receive from the Pharisees. I intensely dislike the current overuse of the word ‘awesome’ but it must have been awesome just being in the company of Jesus, let alone his speaking with you in person.
It is so important to remind ourselves of who God really is; Revelation helps remove the concept of a ‘gentle Jesus meek and mild’ but instead, points to the majesty and might of God, a God who must never be taken for granted. Once we start to comprehend the majesty and perfection of God, our understanding of him can start to grow and expand, leaving behind our small mindedness which is so easy to develop. We can easily create a God of limitations, but God wants to open our understanding to see him in his glory, power and majesty, yet capable of loving and caring for the people he has created.
How do you react to God? Do you see him as he really is, or....
Is your God too small?
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