Encounters with God Are God-Sized
Memory verse: Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
God is interested in the world’s coming to know Him. The only way people will know what God is like is to see Him at work in their world. They will know His nature when they see it expressed in His activity. Whenever God involves you in His activity, the assignment will have God-like dimensions to it.
Some people say, “God will never ask me to do something that’s impossible.” On the contrary, if the assignment I sense God is giving me is something I know I can handle on my own, I assume it probably is not from God. The assignments God gave in the Bible were always God-sized. They were always beyond what people could do in their strength because He wanted to demonstrate His nature, His strength, His provision, and His love to His people and to a watching world. That is the only way the world will come to know Him.
For Example…
God told Moses to lead the Israelites to camp beside the Red Sea. God knew He was going to deliver them by dividing the sea and letting them cross on dry ground. He said, “I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord” (Ex. 14:4). What was the result? “When the Israelites saw the great power, the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him” (Ex. 14:31).
God commanded Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River at flood stage. Why? “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you [Israel] might always fear the Lord your God” (Josh. 4:24).
A vast army came to attack Israel. King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast and led the people to seek God’s counsel. He prayed, “O our God ... we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chronicles 20:12). God responded, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you” (2 Chronicles 20:15,17). Jehoshaphat sent a choir in front of the army singing praise to God for His enduring love. God destroyed the invading army before Jehoshaphat and Israel got to the battlefield. Then “the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel” (2 Chronicles 20:29).
When Christians in the early church followed the directions of the Holy Spirit, God impacted their world. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in foreign languages they had not learned. Then Peter preached. “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41).
What our world often witnesses today is a devoted, committed Christian or church serving God. But they are not seeing God. They don’t see anything happening that can be explained only in terms of God’s activity. Why? Because we are not attempting anything that only God can do.
Our world is not being attracted to the Christ we serve because they are not seeing Him at work in our lives. They see us doing good things for God and comment, “That’s nice, but it’s not my thing.” The world is passing us by because they do not want to get involved in what they see in our lives. We are not giving them opportunities to encounter God. They are seeing only us. Let the world watch God at work, and He will attract people to Himself. Let Christ be lifted up, not in words but in life. Let people see the difference the living Christ makes in a life, a family, or a church; that will affect how they respond to the gospel. When the world sees things happening through God’s people that cannot be explained except that God Himself has done them, the world will be drawn to such a God.