jueves, 28 de agosto de 2008

How Big is Your Box?

It's been forever since I wrote in this blog, not because I had nothing to say but because I haven't had time to sit down and write. Hopefully I will be able to put into words all that God has been teaching me in the past two months...one blog at a time. This one is related to something I read while reading through the New Testament. Acts 7:48-49 makes reference to the old testament (I Kings 8:27 ;II Chron. 6:18; Is. 66:1) regarding the building of the temple by Solomon saying that David wanted to build the temple but Solomon was actually the one who built it.

"However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord,'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?"

We have, since way back then, been trying to put God in a box. We try to make Him fit into what we believe He is, or should be. But God cannot be contained. He is so much bigger than my box!! I have had the wonderful opportunity of being raised in a Christian home, and I have now been on the mission field for 15 years. I have seen Him work in such wonderful and mysterious ways. He has surprised me so many times and showed me that He does not fit into my box. He cares about the smallest details of my life. He cares about the forgotten, lonely, unloved people. And He doesn't care about my status, my prominence or anything else that this world might put value on.
My prayer for myself and for you is that as we get to know God more, as we grow, the box that we have put God in will grow too!

3 comentarios:

Jay Philip Williams dijo...

Hey! Looks like I'm the first one to leave a comment on your blog, Cheryl. I feel priveleged!

He cares about the smallest details of my life. He cares about the forgotten, lonely, unloved people.

This is one of the things I've been struggling with over the past couple years. I just don't see it. Rape, murder, millions starving, pain galore. And of course I know the pat answers that any Christian will give you. "It's because of sin." "There will be justice eventually." Blah, blah, blah. I just don't understand why God allows it. And I'm pretty sure most of those people who are suffering intensely aren't thinking "Aw, it's okay. God cares." They're just suffering and living ruined lives.

Tim dijo...

I like to think in terms of how can I get outside the boxes I find myself creating around myself.

It was good to be with you and Adrian this summer for our short time.

Cheryl Mingo dijo...

Well Jay, in reality, we don´t deserve any of God´s grace or mercy to start with. God´s justice is hell but He made a way for us to escape hell. When we try and look at God from our human perspective and understand who He is and why He allows things that don´t seem fair I´m afraid that we are disappointed because we can´t see the big picture. And until we realize our own state before God without Christ everything will seem unfair. But I´ve met enough people in this world that have gone through terrible, awful things but that have Christ and they have hope. I don´t think that it makes the pain or suffering go away by any means but I do know that when we´re in God´s hands He takes care of us, emotionally, physically and spiritually and that is what gives hope! I don´t think the topic is an easy one to get your mind around either. I am one of those people that thinks that everything should be fair and just and I don´t like to see unjustices. But I do know, for a fact, that God is sovereign and that when I put my life in His hands, no matter who I am or what I am going through, He WILL take care of me and give me the grace to go on.

PS. I see you have the same problem spelling the word privilege as I do. =)