Day 184: God in a Box

1 Corinthians 7:1-24; 1 Kings 20; Amos 4:4-13

There sort of an interesting statement that Paul makes in this letter. He is talking about people trying to change once they become followers of The Lord. He says that people don't need to try to change who or what they are once God calls them. This doesn't mean to keep living in their sinful ways, but to continue on being who they are and do what they are doing--keep living. What Paul goes on to say is that God sets slaves free, and the free become slaves of Christ. What I take from this is that we don't need to try and force our way to greater holiness or purpose, God will do it. He will transform our hearts and our lives in his own time and in his own way. Yes, we need to follow Jesus' example, but continue living, and in that God will do the transforming in us.

The God of Israel was well known at this time. The Syrians said he was a "mountain god" or a "god of the hills." These pagan people did not understand the magnificence of the Israelite God. They could do nothing but associate him with stories of the past and then put him in a box. Believers and non-believers do that: we put God in a box so that we can better understand, control, and fit him in our lives. But, if we do that, we miss who God really is. He isn't just Lord of the hills and mountains, but of everything. By putting God in a box we don't get to experience his fullness and we limit what we will allow him to do in this life. I challenge us to seek to open wide the doors for God to work in every area in our lives in every way he is capable. Then we will get to experience the fullness of God in our lives.

God is angry at Israel in Amos because the people have rejected him. They love to sin and then get up the next morning and bring sacrifices to make up for it. That is the cycle. There is no obedience or repentance. God goes on to say that he tried to get their attention by taking away their prosperity and sustenance, but they still rejected him. It's like they put him in a box and only took him out when they felt bad. That's not what God is meant to be in our lives. We need to stop acting like he's just our religion; he needs to be our whole focus and our whole life. That doesn't mean that we stop living and sit in a church pew 24/7. But it does mean that we seek to be more like Jesus everday and that everything we do we do for The Lord.