July 15th, 2011
Do you believe in God?
Many people do. Christians, especially, count belief in God as the starting point for everything else. So here's a harder question: Do you believe in a God who can disagree with you? How about a God who can tell you no?
I was listening to a pastor recently who asked these very questions and they stopped me. Do I believe in a God who can tell me that I am wrong?
The pastor said, "What happens if you want to marry so and so and God says that is a bad idea. Who wins?"
Or, "I feel like doing [blank]...and God says you should do the opposite wether you feel like it or not. Who wins?"
Or, "this social issue is very important and worth protecting and fighting for but God says that issue is actually very broken. Who wins?"
Hmmmmmmmmm
If I win doesn't that kinda indicate that I don't really believe in God? OK, so now I am really plagiarizing. "You believe in a sky fairy or Dr. Phi, or a counselor...but you DON'T believe in God."
If what I think and feel wins over what God wants for me then I believe I am God.
Ouch.
Food for thought for anyone else? Wanna leave a comment? Leave your thoughts at: www.facebook.com/bearfruit
~Jana
June 5th, 2011
God Provides
Did you know that God still feeds the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish? In church Sunday, I learned that a missionary to Brazil was living in a town dealing with a drought and the people were literally starving. The missionary had 1 bag of rice and 1 bag of beans to feed his family but he believed that God wanted him to share what he had with his neighbors. He put the 2 bags of food on his window sil and had the townspeople line up to get scoops of food. After dealing out scoops to the people all day the bags were still full! The next day the people lined up again and again he gave out food from the 2 bags he had and again they were full at the end of the day. Daily he gave out food from those same 2 bags for a MONTH before the rain finally came back to their town and the crops were able to grow.
I find myself hearing a story like that and immediately thinking it is simply that...a story. It's like I go on auto-pilot or something! But it isn't just a story; that actually happened!
It occurs to me that if I was in the same situation I probably wouldn't have shared my bags of food. I have a nasty habit of hoarding food, actually, and I probably would have been too afraid that in sharing my food with others, there wouldn't have been enough for me!
If I had been spiritual enough to actually consult God in a situation like that, I wonder how angry I would have ended up being with God when I prayed for rain (my idea of his provision) only to have him keep the ground dry.
Makes me wonder where I am expecting rain and hoarding food when God wants me to share what I have and allow him to do something miraculous...
~Jana
