I go to church and hang out in Christian circles. That’s just a part of who I am, and every once in a while, I feel compelled to post here about God. I hear from a lot of people about how God works. “I do this, and then God is supposed to do that. That’s how God works.” Only that’s not what I read in the Bible.
In the Bible, God works in lots of different peoples’ lives. And in each case, it’s different. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, but His voice was a quiet whisper to Elijah. God spoke to Philip in the moment telling him to talk to a guy in a chariot, and God laid out a plan ahead of time for David to become king. It’s never the same way twice.
Even with the same people, God doesn’t work with them the same way. The Israelites left Egypt on dry land through the Red Sea. The waters were parted first, and then the people went across. But when they crossed the Jordan, it didn’t work that same way. They had to step into the Jordan River first. Only then would God part the waters again. The only constants that I see is that God works in and through people. Rarely does He act directly. And it appears as if there’s only one way to live eternally with God, which is through Jesus. Everything else God does is new.
God doesn’t work a certain way with all people for all time. He doesn’t even work a certain way with the same person for all time. I believe it depends on the person and where they are at.
When we are 2 years old, our parents interact with us a certain way. At this age, we are told, “Because I said so.” When we grow older, we are more mature. We are expected to make more of our own choices and take more responsibility. When we are 12 years old, “Because I said so,” is no longer a good enough reason for doing something. Instead good parents instill moral values by explaining why certain behavior is right and why other behaviors are wrong.
You may notice that sometimes the way God interacted with you before no longer works. We sometimes call this a “dry spell” where we feel distant from God. We ask, “God, why are you so far away?” We think God has left us. Perhaps, though, it’s that God wants us to grow by interacting with Him differently. He is waiting for us to take the relationship to the next step.
My Journey
I’ve gone through phases in my life, interacting with God differently. Quite a few years ago, I was pretty regular reading my Bible in the mornings. I would walk to a nearby park, read, and then journal on what I read. For a while this worked great. I felt closer to God than I had before. Then after a while, I kept getting the sense that God wanted something different with me.
I was reading Psalms and seeing how David interacted with God through song and verse. I was reading about God and how He interacted with others instead of having more of my own direct interaction with God. I felt a nudging from God that He wanted a relationship with me more like that of David. This took me quite a while to figure out. As God felt ever more distant in my reading and journaling, everyone around me kept saying that reading the Bible was the answer.
Eventually, I stopped my Bible reading and my journaling. I know, “Horrors! Why would you do that!?” For me, for a season, I needed to stop engaging with a substitute for God (the Bible and journaling) so that I could engage with God directly. I started taking God with me when I go running. I go running with God. I talk to God, and I listen. It’s not the usual prayer requests. I don’t ask much of God. Mostly I just experience being with Him.
In addition, through my heart attack experience, I got that God wants me to live an adventure with Him. I’ve learned that as I live this adventure to impact the world, I get to see God working through me and around me. I get to experience God and know Him in a way I wouldn’t otherwise experience.
You should know that as nice as this may sound, it’s not perfect. As I grow into a bigger version of myself and into a deeper relationship with God, it’s a chaotic mess. I’m becoming a new person, and I’m doing new things. I start, and I stop. Now I need God in my life more than ever. I face new fears as I learn to trust God in new areas of my life.
In case you’re wondering, I am reading the Bible again. I am also getting the sense that God wants something new in my relationship with Him. You’ll have to stay tuned to hear what I figure out.
Your Journey
I don’t know your journey with God. I’m pretty sure He wants your relationship with Him to be unique and different from mine. I just have a few questions for you to consider:
- What’s the next step in your relationship with God?
- Is God yearning for you to start a relationship with Him?
- Are you experiencing a dry spell?
- Has your relationship with God become mundane?
- What is God dreaming for you?
