God Is Bigger Than You Think

 We like to keep God in a box.  We use different labels. Some are religious: Hindu, Buddhist, Islam, Christian, Jew.    Some are denominational: Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Pentecostal, Non-Denominational.  Some are theological. Some are philosophical.  But God is bigger than we think.  God cannot be defined or contained in any box, religious, theological, philosophical, or physical.  God is bigger than any nation, any generation, any time, any galaxy or universe. God is greater.  

 We sometimes use our God boxes to decide who can be included and who must be excluded.  Do they believe what we believe?  Can they be included in our God box? Are they one of “us?” 

 God is always blowing up our boxes.  This is the reason He sent Jesus.  He is beyond theology and religion.  John writes of Him, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.  And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it,” (John 1:1-4)

 Jesus continually blew up the God-boxes of His day. For this reason, He was taken to the Cross and crucified.  He had blown up the “God-box” of the Jewish authorities, and they would not stand for it.

 He continually did this with His own followers.  He did so when He stayed behind at the well in Samaria and conversed alone with a Samaritan woman, remaining two days and including the half-breed Samaritans in His Kingdom. 

 He did this when He responded to a Roman Centurian who sought help for his ailing servant. “Truly I have not seen so great faith in all of Israel.”  He did so when He touched and healed lepers and included tax collectors among His followers. He did so when he told the story of the Good Samaritan and redefined what it means to be “neighbor.”

 Whenever we encounter questions that we cannot answer or problems we cannot solve, we can always know that God is bigger than we think.  He is bigger than our own God-box. God is bigger than your biggest dream, greater than your greatest joy.

 The Bible gives us clues about God.  He is beyond time.  While our lifespan is approximately 78 years, He is eternal.  A thousand years in his sight is like yesterday to us, or like a single hour in the night. (Psalm 90).   He is not merely “omni.” Omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. He is personal.  His character is best revealed in the person of Jesus.  “He that has seen me,” Jesus said, “has seen the Father.”