December 9, 2015 Ponder
I have been thinking about the extremes of our amazing Creator God, Who is both powerful and personal. His power is seen in many ways. It must be quite a project to manage the universe. We know a little about a portion of it, but when we consider the idea of space with no limits, our mind gives up trying to envision it. Obviously, God has it under control.
The counterfeit god, Satan, is active and troubling. We see evidence of his presence in the evil that hurts so many people. Sometimes it feels like Creator God is giving him too much freedom, but we know from Scripture that He has this under control as well.
Planet Earth shows evidence of much hurt and deterioration, and human relationships are at a major low point. We could wonder if God has backed away and is allowing our self-destruction. But we know better, because we read the Bible and see God’s clear plan for finishing the current developments and then making a new heaven and earth. His control is assured.
In contrast to all of this evidence of power, God is very personal. He made us, so He knows every cell in our body, every thought in our mind and the words we will speak before we say them. Even when humans fail to acknowledge His presence, or deny His existence, He is there. God is the One Who has allowed humans to learn to do amazing things that were not even science fiction a few decades ago.
God is powerful enough to manage a plan to bring Salvation to the human race and personal enough to offer this remedy to individuals. He is powerful enough to guide nations and personal enough to intimately whisper to individuals, “My Peace I give to you.”
It is rather easy to consider the powerful God, because evidence of His handiwork is all around us. His personal Presence is often ignored, or perhaps avoided, because His holiness makes us uncomfortable. In order to enjoy Him, we have to admit our need of Him and respond to Him according to His plan. This means acknowledging that Savior Jesus is God and that it is through Him, and only through Him, that we are reconnected with Creator God.
It amazes me that this powerful God would want to be personally involved in my life and actually live within me. As I become more aware of His presence, I gain an appreciation of His power. My fears are eased and I find rest in trusting Him. I get to enjoy a very personal relationship with the Creator, and I feel secure within His power.
Pastor Bill Ehmann