B is for Beautiful

God is beautiful. How can He not be? He is perfect in all ways. I cannot imagine what it will be like to someday behold Him, although the thought puts both joy and fear in me. I know that some would disagree with me here. What about evil? What about disease and starvation and poverty and death? Are these not a reflection of our creator, if indeed we are created? And I could argue about the birth of a child, the sunset, the blooming of a rose, a cool, starry evening. But it is not a competition of which is greater. I don't understand all of creation, but I know that I am not at its center. He is beautiful in my eyes because I see Him. Looking at anything else is just a distraction.

I sometimes wonder what kind of parents these people are, who fault God for the calamities that befall man. Are they the kind of parents who only give their children good, even if they do not deserve it? Do they pat the child on the back after he has just taken a knife and carved their name in the walls of the house or the dining table and say, "Look how cute? I wonder what he could do if we gave him a chainsaw?" Or do they come home and ask their child how to spend their paycheck? Surely, if there is a God, He has the right to make creation as He sees fit. And it does not take away from His beauty any more than my deciding how to spend my paycheck takes away from my love for my children.

Kids have such a funny concept of money. I remember when my oldest son was much younger. We drove by a house and he thought we should buy it. Trying to deter him, I said that house must cost $100,000! He said, no problem, had $100, if I had the $1,000. I wish it worked that way, I'd own more real estate. But I explained to him it would take 100-thousand dollar bills, and that was a lot. We drove on, him understanding a bit more about finances, me amused at his understanding.

God is beautiful. Perfect in ways I cannot understand. He does things I sometimes wish were done in other ways. But He is infinite in knowledge, I am finite. But if you have a house you want to sell for about $100,000.00, I have $100...and I am sure I can get a loan for the $1,000. Do we have a deal?

A is for Almighty

God is God. There is nothing that I can do to change that. Even unbelief does not change that. God knows this. He is not threatened by me or any other individual for that matter. That is one thing that makes Him such an awesome God.

He is the Almighty, the creator of Heaven and Earth. He alone is worthy of all worship and praise.

And this Almighty God loves me. Now, I shouldn't let that go to my head. His love gives me a reason to live, but it does not make me more important than anyone else.

I say this because I need to be reminded of it. I look at all of the philosophies and thrologies that are out there, and I make a conscious effort to choose what I believe is right. I hear a lot about how God is love. But I have to wonder how His love is different from my idea of love. His love is not just a gushy feeling, but it encompasses things like justice and judgment. It has to, or it would not be love.

He is Almighty, and I am not. He wants my praise, but He will not compromise who He is to get it. Nor will He be changed if He does not. God does not change. He is not like the fickle people we are, who alter our behavior if something or someone does not cater to Him. He is God.

I guess that is why reformed theology appeals to me. I used to think so much less of God. I used to think that my importance to Him could change Him. But that is unscriptural. I used to think that He was content with whatever I had to offer. Imagine, an Almighty God who was impressed by my returning his sixpence. How much more beautiful to think of Him as a Father who looks and the sixpence and smiles, lovingly, knowing it is a gift from the heart. How much more damning that He is also the Almighty God who knows when it is not. I cannot fool Him, even if I fool myself.

A is for Almighty.

Having it all

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

THOUGHT 1:
Paul begins by saying "Blessed be God." God is worthy of our worship, because He is adorable, worthy, good, etc. I believe that this is the beginning of the gospel. God is good, and is worthy of our praise no matter what. Paul expounds more on the greatness of God in other places, one of my favorites being Romans 11:33-36. Not only does Paul say this, but he lives it. It was this thought, I believe, that carried him through the many torturous events in his life. Prison, stoning, shipwrecks, murderous threats and so on. It seems that nothing ever got Paul down. It was this thought that also got Paul through the good times, through times when he might otherwise have been tempted to rely on the things of this world rather than on God. Paul always understood that God is in control, and that God loved him very much.

I think this thought is echoed in the Lord's prayer, where Jesus beings, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." God is holy (hallowed). Can there be any greater acknowledgment of God's worth than to call him holy? This is pinnacle to us worshipping Him. We need to see Him as holy, perfect, sinless, all-good. If not, why would we worship Him? If so, we are crazy not to worship Him.

THOUGHT 2:
God's goodness overflows to us. He has "blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." A few things to note about His blessings to us. First, we are blessed in Christ. I think this is a primary reason that many in the world can be satisfied with little, while many with much would not be satisfied with even more. God's blessings overflow through Christ. As Paul said, "I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." (Phil 1:12) The secret is to understand God's goodness and how it flows to us in all circumstance. That is why the next verse in Philippians is "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." 

To continue with this thought, Paul states that we have every spiritual blessing. If we have every one of them, then we have no lack. This does not mean the we have every spiritual gift, but we have every spiritual blessing. We have all that we need, in Christ, to deal with whatever the world throws our way.

What is this spiritual blessing? I believe it is faith. Jesus said, "[I]f you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20) So even the smallest faith is enough blessing to accomplish a great task. If we have faith, we have all that we need. If we see God as beautiful, hallowed, wonderful, then we know that we have all that we need in this life.

To know or to be known?

Galatians 4:9 "But now that you know God - or rather are known by God - how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles?"


Paul begins stating things one way, that we know God. But then he corrects himself, and states that we are known by God. So what is the difference?

• Me knowing God puts the emphasis on me. Perhaps as if I found it myself. The Gospel is never about me, and Paul deeply understands this.
• God knowing me is profoundly more humbling. It means nothing that I have met and spoke to ________ (insert famous person's name here). I may know them, but I doubt they know, let alone care about me. But suppose _________ (insert famous person's name here) goes out of his way to let others know that he has met me! That changes everything. Suddenly, I matter. Not because I have done anything, but it is because they know me. I had no idea this person was aware of me at all. I am humbled.

God knows me. Me, the speck on this rock floating in a vast universe He created. Amazing. Humbling. How can I help but respond in awe and respect? Anyone want an autograph? (Oops! I better not let this go to my head!)