Why God?

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."    2 Corinthians 1:8-11

That's why...

Sacred Oaks

What is an idol?

So, imagine you're on a deserted island ... not the cool, tropical kind. It's barren and lonely, leaving you with hours upon hours of nothing. In those moments, what are the things you would want the most? 

At first, I think we would all crave those excess comforts that our lives are drenched with. Our delicious burritos for dinner, our iced vanilla latte in the morning, our lab tops that make everything in the world so easily accessible. 

Then, once we get over the realization that these items aren't even remotely possible, we'd begin to settle for craving the simple comforts of our lives: our big beds, our cool shelters, our purified water... 

No such luck, of course, because this island has pretty much nothing on it. Then the outrage would settle in.... Can't I just have someone else to suffer with?! Someone to talk to, to laugh with, to fight or even hold hands with? The injustice of complete solitude would drive us all mad. 

At what point, then, would we settle on calling upon our God? Maybe after a few days, days that felt like years, would we humble ourselves to the point of just asking God to fill all those voids we were experiencing to clearly. 

And then... only then, in those moments of true brokenness and humility, when we believe with all of who we are that those THINGS will not satisfy us even if we had them, do we really experience that peace and freedom we all crave so deeply. 

Truth is, we all worship things other than God. We do it every minute of every day almost. My dependence on the Lord is not near what He desires for it to be. 

Lucky for us, God brings all us who believe and allow Him into our lives to that deserted island. He brings us there so that we don't go on living devoted to worthless idols. gods with a lower case g.

In ancient times, the oak tree was a symbol for strength. So, when the prophet Isaiah says that Israel had disobeyed God and begun to worship "sacred oaks", he is pointing out a fundamental truth that we all like to disguise other things in our lives as God. But we must beware, because a life devoted to false gods will leave us alone and deserted. During this lifetime and a long time after. 

Let us not turn out like the people Isaiah prophesied about...

"You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks      

      in which you have delighted.

You will be disgraced 

      because of the gardens that you have chosen.

You will be like an oak with fading leaves, 

      like a garden without water. 

The mighty man will become tinder

      and his work a spark;

      both will burn together, 

      with no one to quench the fire."

                                          Isaiah 1:29-31                                 

Teeter-Totter

So, if life - living life that is - is like being on a seesaw...

I'm realizing I've been trying SO hard to keep the plain level. God at one end, me at the other. Maybe that's why I'm so ridiculously tired. 

Because that's not how we're really meant to live. We find rest on the ground, with God exalted at the highest point. 

But we've always been taught that how to play on a seesaw is to go back and forth, up and down. And for the most part, that seems to be the most fun way to do it. 

Likewise, we're taught how to live life. That we need to be in control and live perfectly balanced. But we find ourselves struggling to stay lifted off the ground. 

So, learning how to let go of our prior understanding of the seesaw can be hard. But once we decide to alter the way we teeter on the totter, we realize the rest and comfort that comes from the ground is exactly what we need. What completes. What takes the weight and pressure off.

Because as far as I'm concerned, if God were at the highest exalted point in all our lives, the playground would be at peace. 

"Be exalted, O God above the heavens;

Let your glory be above all the earth."

Psalm 56:5