However, they were expecting that [Paul] would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
~ Acts 28:6 (NKJV)
Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of [the fruit] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
~ Genesis 3:4-5 (NKJV)
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son ... these He also glorified.
~ Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV)
Satan mixes his lies with enough truth to make them palatable. When the Creator made humans in His image, we were already "like" God. Furthermore, disciples of Jesus are daily conformed to the image of Christ. God goes so far as to allow us to share the glory of His Son.
Yet God alone is God. God is the Sovereign of the heavens and earth and everything in them. He owns us, and allows us to choose whether or not to have Him as ours. He is in control of the circumstances beyond our reasoning or reach.
God is not like us, nor is His love as ours. The love of people can be self-serving. They will disappoint us, fail us, even betray us. God's love is absolute and unconditional, based not on our (un)worthiness, but His capability. God is love, and love—real love—never fails.
The more we trust the love of God, the more we become like God, without ever becoming God. Why would we want to be God, even of our own lives? He's already more than adequate.
Heavenly Father, every effort we've made to be god of our lives has been disastrous. You are perfect and complete. Please make us more like You. Please enable us to trust You more fully.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thank you for these beautiful words, Anne. Your words are a breath of fresh air--the air of early spring with just the right amount of nip.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many pleasant words with no nip these days. God intends His word to instruct, comfort and refine. Thank you for not ever backing off the last point.
Praying God's blessings for you today.
More of You Lord, and less of me.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Denise, always more of Him.
ReplyDeleteGwen, in your typical manner you've captured yesterday's 40's with sun after the 2 degrees overnight low and made it all pleasant by putting God in it.