December 18, 2024
Leaving Room for Miracles
MARK BATTERSON
Lee en español
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)
When I was a young boy, Sunday-school teachers used felt figures to reenact the stories of Scripture on a green flannelgraph background.
That two-dimensional storytelling technique might have been a step up from a one-dimensional reading of the story, but that’s where many of us get stuck in our relationship with God.
For many, the God of the Bible never escapes the pages of the Bible. We end up with a flannelgraph “god” who can never amaze, overwhelm or transcend us. That’s when we need to break down and rebuild our understanding of who God is.
In the beginning, God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). We’ve been creating God in our image ever since. That’s our ancient error. We project our history, personality and politics onto God. We think of God in purely human terms. The result is a god — lowercase “g” — who looks, thinks and votes like us. But when we filter our theology through our history, personality or politics, it’s called idolatry.
Part of us wants a God we can micromanage. But when we attempt to box God in, we box God out of transforming our perspectives and priorities. There’s no room for mystery or miracles. We end up with a downsized version of God — one who isn’t big enough to overcome our shortcomings or good enough to sustain us during pain and suffering.
At some point, many of us experience a crisis of faith because we outgrow our elementary understanding of God. That can be scary, but it’s a necessary stage in spiritual growth. It’s the chrysalis whereby a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
What if we started noticing the million little miracles around us? What if we started reimagining the God who created those miracles? Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us:
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (NIV).
God likens the difference between our thoughts and His thoughts to the distance from one side of the universe to the other. Last time I checked, the comoving distance from one side of the universe to the other is 93 billion light-years. That means that your best thought on your best day is 93 billion light-years short of how great and how good God is! Simply put, your “god” is too small.
In fact, what if, out of all the problems you have, your biggest problem is your small view of God? Maybe it’s time to broaden your understanding of the God who is bigger than big, closer than close and gooder than good. A God who is 93 billion light-years beyond anything you can ask or imagine.
God, thank You that You are big enough to overcome my weaknesses. You are good enough to sustain me. You are close enough to be with me right now. I want to outgrow my limited understanding of You and grow closer to who You are. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author, has recently released A Million Little Miracles. In his new book, you’ll discover how to see the miraculous in the everyday and cultivate a holy curiosity for the Creator. Get your copy today!
ENGAGE
Enter to WIN your very own copy of A Million Little Miracles by Mark Batterson. To celebrate this book, Mark’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, December 23, 2024.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (NIV).
In what ways have you boxed God in, leaving no room for miracles? How would your day today look different if you had a bigger view of who God is?
© 2024 by Mark Batterson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org