One of life’s peculiarities is that God’s truth is
often opposite of what we expect or consider normal. My friend calls this phenomenon the “upside
down kingdom.” For example, to live life
fully we have to let go of our tight hold and desire to control it; to save
life we must lose it (Mark 8:35). Or, when
faced with an enemy, instead of matching blow with blow, we are encouraged to
love them (Matthew 5:44). This world of
opposites also applies to intimacy with God.
J.I. Packer (Knowing God) suggests
knowing God actually starts with the knowledge that He knows us! He writes:
“What matters
supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God,
but the larger fact which underlies it –the fact that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His
sustained initiative in knowing me. I
know Him, because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me;
and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from
me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters.”
What does this mean? I love to watch the show, The
Voice. I saw it last season and
was hooked. It is a singing/talent
competition, and there are four celebrity judges. They each select people to be on their team
and coach them throughout the competition, using their experience and knowledge
to help their team members hone their craft.
At the beginning of the season the coaches choose
their teams. This is one of my favorite
parts of the show. The coaches sit in
huge chairs that revolve at the push of a button. Their backs are to the contestant, so they
cannot see what the person looks like, they can only hear their voice. If they like what they hear they push the
button on their chair and it swivels around.
Once a chair rotates the person auditioning qualifies for the
competition. This is called a “chair
turn” and is very exciting.
I love to watch the chairs turn around and the look of
relief on the participants face, and to see their family members in the
audience jumping up and down. But it is
sad to watch someone that is not chosen.
No chairs turn. The coaches are
very nice and offer tips to improve performance, but their turn is over and
they go home.
So what if that were us? What if we were on stage, singing our hearts
out? Or what if we were on stage just as
is, “ourselves,” no fancy notes or skills, just as we are, the good, the bad
and ugly? We wait for a chair to turn
around to tell us that we are worth it, special, and loved. What if everyone was watching us, at our most
vulnerable time, waiting to see if anyone chose or wanted us? Here is the good news: God hits the
button. Big time. He is not indecisive, he knows what he
wants. His chair spins around. He says, “I want you.” He knows us, completely, still loves us, and
desires a relationship with us. Not only
that, he then gives us an opportunity to know him. Wow, what a game changer!
“But
the man who loves God is known by God.”
1 Corinthians 8:3.
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