Jacob
2007-05-08 00:34:53 UTC
One of the great things about God is His diversity. No two things He
has created are identical, and He also employs variety in dealing with
people. We people tend to think that the way we have experienced God
is the right way and that everyone should conform to it. We also
expect that God should deal with us in the same way He has dealt with
someone we admire. God surprises us both ways, and continues to be
sovereign!
The Bible mentions those who experienced great miracles from His hands
through faith, and others who did not receive the miracles they hoped
for but held on to God in faith in spite of that (He.11). Which group
was greater? I believe it was a sovereign choice of God and neither
group had anything to boast about. It is natural that those who have
experienced miracles tend to look down on others who have 'not been so
favoured!' But that is a misunderstanding of God's ways.
Those who speak in tongues, those who have seen visions or dreams or
received miraculous answers to prayer or supernatural guidance, those
who have been miraculously healed, etc. - all tend to look down on
those who have not had such experiences. God may speak to us through a
vision or dream, but He may also speak to us though His word or
directly in our heart. Can we choose which way we would like to hear
Him?
Coming to personal experiences with God, have we all had similar
experiences? Not at all! Some have come to know God after terrible
bondages of sin, and others have come to know their sinfulness in a
slower manner. Some have had dramatic conversions and others seem to
have had a comparatively smooth walk into God's kingdom. Some have
been drawn to God after experiencing miracles, and others have come to
Him because they are convinced of His truths. Some have learned to
lean on God because of their problems, and others have so much time
and opportunity to travel around and minister to others. Some have
learned wisdom through study, and others through their mistakes. Some
have received miraculous intervention from God in their problems, and
others are struggling without being able to see the end ahead.
Those who are in a relatively comfortable position tend to judge those
who are having problems as those who do not have enough faith, who
must be having some secret sin in their lives or those who have some
generational (or ancestral) curses on them! How mean! If we can't help
them, at least let's stop making things more difficult for them.
O that we had a larger heart, to be understand more of God's diversity
and to be more compassionate and accepting towards people who are
different from us and whose lot in life is different from ours! (Ep.
1:18,19).
has created are identical, and He also employs variety in dealing with
people. We people tend to think that the way we have experienced God
is the right way and that everyone should conform to it. We also
expect that God should deal with us in the same way He has dealt with
someone we admire. God surprises us both ways, and continues to be
sovereign!
The Bible mentions those who experienced great miracles from His hands
through faith, and others who did not receive the miracles they hoped
for but held on to God in faith in spite of that (He.11). Which group
was greater? I believe it was a sovereign choice of God and neither
group had anything to boast about. It is natural that those who have
experienced miracles tend to look down on others who have 'not been so
favoured!' But that is a misunderstanding of God's ways.
Those who speak in tongues, those who have seen visions or dreams or
received miraculous answers to prayer or supernatural guidance, those
who have been miraculously healed, etc. - all tend to look down on
those who have not had such experiences. God may speak to us through a
vision or dream, but He may also speak to us though His word or
directly in our heart. Can we choose which way we would like to hear
Him?
Coming to personal experiences with God, have we all had similar
experiences? Not at all! Some have come to know God after terrible
bondages of sin, and others have come to know their sinfulness in a
slower manner. Some have had dramatic conversions and others seem to
have had a comparatively smooth walk into God's kingdom. Some have
been drawn to God after experiencing miracles, and others have come to
Him because they are convinced of His truths. Some have learned to
lean on God because of their problems, and others have so much time
and opportunity to travel around and minister to others. Some have
learned wisdom through study, and others through their mistakes. Some
have received miraculous intervention from God in their problems, and
others are struggling without being able to see the end ahead.
Those who are in a relatively comfortable position tend to judge those
who are having problems as those who do not have enough faith, who
must be having some secret sin in their lives or those who have some
generational (or ancestral) curses on them! How mean! If we can't help
them, at least let's stop making things more difficult for them.
O that we had a larger heart, to be understand more of God's diversity
and to be more compassionate and accepting towards people who are
different from us and whose lot in life is different from ours! (Ep.
1:18,19).