2 Kings 16
As I read how King Ahaz decided the temple of God was a fixer-upper and imposed his own re-design on the temple for which God had provided the original plans, it struck me as amazing gall. What incredible pride leads one to think that he can improve on something God designed?
Oh.
Wait.
How often do I do the same thing? Don’t we all? Whether it is God’s design for our body, with a nip here and a tuck there; God’s design for our food, with a genetic modification to make it seedless here or an injection of hormones there; or God’s design for our lives, we think we have a better idea.
We think we can improve on God’s design, but what we are really doing is elevating ourselves to the place of god. We worship our own ideas and creativity, rather than recognizing that God is the source of all our gifts and talents.
And since God is the source — the source of life, the source of wisdom, the source of creativity — what if we worship and seek Him and allow His creativity to work through us?
George Washington Carver is quoted as saying he asked God to show him the secrets of the universe, and God responded, “Little man, you’re not big enough to know the secrets of My universe, but I’ll show you the secret of the peanut.” Carver discovered or invented over 300 uses for the peanut. (http://www.truenorthquest.com/george-washington-carver/)
What might God show you or me if we ask? If we listen? If we trust that we can’t improve on God, but God can reveal more of His magnificence to us than we could possibly imagine?
As I read how King Ahaz decided the temple of God was a fixer-upper and imposed his own re-design on the temple for which God had provided the original plans, it struck me as amazing gall. What incredible pride leads one to think that he can improve on something God designed?
Oh.
Wait.
How often do I do the same thing? Don’t we all? Whether it is God’s design for our body, with a nip here and a tuck there; God’s design for our food, with a genetic modification to make it seedless here or an injection of hormones there; or God’s design for our lives, we think we have a better idea.
We think we can improve on God’s design, but what we are really doing is elevating ourselves to the place of god. We worship our own ideas and creativity, rather than recognizing that God is the source of all our gifts and talents.
And since God is the source — the source of life, the source of wisdom, the source of creativity — what if we worship and seek Him and allow His creativity to work through us?
George Washington Carver is quoted as saying he asked God to show him the secrets of the universe, and God responded, “Little man, you’re not big enough to know the secrets of My universe, but I’ll show you the secret of the peanut.” Carver discovered or invented over 300 uses for the peanut. (http://www.truenorthquest.com/george-washington-carver/)
What might God show you or me if we ask? If we listen? If we trust that we can’t improve on God, but God can reveal more of His magnificence to us than we could possibly imagine?
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