Reconciliation.Cafe

I recently went to Gatlinburg with some friends and we stayed in this incredible mountain-top cabin. I use the word “cabin” very loosely. This place was a huge, multi-level, multi-room, multi-amenity house designed especially for big groups. But the bread-and-butter of this already heavenly-home, is the spectacular mountain top view of the Tennessee valley below. Just breath-taking. It stirred some thoughts for me for sure. As we were towering over the bustling tourist haven below, it was super quiet. As peaceful as one could ask for. I was thinking how awesome it was to just get away from the chaos. To see things from above, but not have to deal with all the traffic, all of the noise, all of the people. It’s easy to see what’s coming from above, and yet not have to get involved in the action. I thought to myself, is this how God sees us?

We serve an involved God. We serve a get-in-the-dirt type of God. He could totally, in His sovereignty and power, remove Himself from the equation; washing His hands from the messiness that is…us. But He doesn’t. 

God of the universe, Creator of all the worlds, Sovereign Holy Being that lives outside of time itself, wants to be involved with us. Let that sink in for a minute. 

As if it’s even possible to remotely grasp.

There’s so much that we have yet to understand about our God, but one thing we do know. He loves us. He never scraps the clay. Even when we continually allow ourselves to be shaped by so many other hands and sub-par potters, He is committed to the covenant He’s made with us. That is humbling. Truly humbling. 

Today, I am especially thankful for the New Testament covenant we have with our God. He doesn’t just look down on us from a far-off place. He is here, among us and in us, as the Holy Spirit. He is so committed to keep getting in the dirt with us, day in and day out. 

“For the music director: a psalm of David. Adonai, You searched me and know me. Whenever I sit down or stand up, You know it. You discern my thinking from afar. You observe my journeying and my resting and You are familiar with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, Adonai, You know all about it. You hemmed me in behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Ruach? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there, and if I make my bed in Sheol, look, You are there too. If I take the wings of the dawn and settle on the other side of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” Psalms‬ ‭139:1-10‬ ‭TLV‬

He is a hands-on God. That’s pretty remarkable.