Bible Reading Blog
“God is Not That Way”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: Psalm 100
A nevous woman was on a long international flight. It was back in the days when meals were served with real silverware, not plastic. As she finished eating, the woman decided to keep the silverware. She wrapped it in a napkin and stuffed it into her purse. Not long afterward, the plane experience intense turbulence, causing the plane to bounce violently in the air. Afraid, the woman reached into her purse, put the silverware on the tray table and remarked, “Now I am right with God.” After a little while, the turbulence ceased, and it was smooth flying once again. At this point the woman quietly put the silverware back into her purse again.
Think of this story as a metaphor of how we sometimes bargain with God. On the one hand, we believe that he is all powerful, that he controls even the elements, that even the winds and the waves obey him. But on the other hand, we believe that we can get away with things and make a bargain with him when it goes wrong.
It would be interesting, to speculate how long the woman with the silverware would have stolen and retracted the silverware if the airplane had continued to pass in and out of storms over the next hour or so. That too could be a metaphor of our life. We promise God certain things, somewhat conditional upon his meeting our requests, then the cycle begins again. We are incredibly fickle sometimes, aren’t we?
But God is not that way. The writer of Psalm 100 tells us that the LORD is “steadfast” and “faithful to all generations” (Psalm 100.5). The nature of God is that He does not behave conditionally. Certainly, the faithful and righteous person can affect God’s attitude (Exodus 32.11-14; James 5.16), but at the end of the day, God is sovereign and good. He will work in a way that will be best for us (Romans 8.28) and will glorify His perfect nature. Regardless of what we think God is or isn’t doing in our lives, we have no place to put conditions on our thanksgiving to God.
Instead we must resolve to praise God for who he is (Psalm 100.3). In some situations, praise may not seem appropriate response, but as Job reminds us, “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1.21), and “Should we receive good from God and should we not receive evil?” (Job 2.10)
This resolution is challenging to say the least, but if we believe that the Lord is God; that He exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11.6), then we must be people who give thanks in every circumstance. Have you given thanks to God today?
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100.4-5).
