Meeting God

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Meeting God

What is God like? Think of God as an artist. We learn a great deal about artists (and authors) from observing what they create. God also creates … remember Eden? That first undistorted world, with its undistorted garden, shows us an undistorted God. Jesus also reveals God: He shows us the Father-in-action and speaks the Father’s mind. Think of Him as the Father made visible and audible. And the Spirit? Think of Him as the author who breathed out God’s words and now whispers them to our hearts.

Necessary Pain

I am convinced that pain is necessary. If the word “necessary” causes you to put up a wall and stop paying attention, I’ll soften my vocabulary and say that pain is purposeful. (But I really mean necessary.)

At first pass, the concept of “necessary pain” doesn’t make much sense. To most of us our troubles seem at best unnecessary and at worst the cruel work of an uncaring God. Pain causes us to wrestle with the basics of God’s character. If God cares, if He’s good, why doesn’t He remove our pain? Perhaps He doesn’t care; perhaps He isn’t good; perhaps He has no power over pain. Or, perhaps God has His reasons for allowing pain, even horrific pain, to invade our lives.

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Meeting God