ICS Daily Devotions
God Is Not a Superhero
We can only know someone as they reveal themselves to us, we can only know them as deep as they allow us in. Once we do know them, we get to know them better through the mix and blend of the clues we see through their thoughts, words, and deeds.
Sometimes we like to think of God as being like us, but better, bigger, and with superpowers. He is not. He is altogether different, He is the absolute ‘Being’, and infinitely infinite. BUT He can be known. Insofar as He has revealed Himself in His Word and in His mighty acts, God is knowable.
And God is good. He is the standard of good from which we judge things from. He has good thoughts and plans for our lives. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways. Many times, it is difficult for us to believe how the trial and situation we find ourselves in can be good, but this is because we only see a small part of the tableau. Perhaps if only we see what God sees, we would also cheerfully choose His way. God has given us the promise that He will never leave nor forsake us. We can rest in this promise because He fulfils His Word. We need not fear what will happen today or tomorrow. We are not only in good hands; we are in God’s hands!
Mark 4:41 (NKJV) And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
John 17:3 (NKJV) And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Similarly, Jesus revealed Himself to Peter.
Matthew 16:15-16 (NKJV) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am”’ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
After the Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts and we have received Christ, it does not mean that we know God. We can embark on a journey of getting to know God. We will move from having a knowledge of God to knowing God. We will grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.
But this is no genie-snapping move. It takes work and conscious effort to know God through His revealed Word, especially the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus made it plainly clear to us that He did whatever He saw the Father was doing. Jesus declared and revealed God to us. What God expect of us, how to trust in Him, His character and attributes are all clearly recorded in the Bible. Isn’t it comforting and assuring that we need not deal in guesswork to know the work and character of God?
Every day, we must spend time to seek God through His Word, through prayers, through praises. This is a process that strengthens and fortifies each other. The more we seek God through the Scriptures, the more we know how to pray to him, the more we pray, the more we know God, and the more we know God, we cannot help but fall on our knees and praise Him.
Sermon Series: A Firm Footing
