“The Lord, You alone are the Most
High”
-Psalm 83:18
Bullets were whizzing by a soldier as
he dove into the nearest foxhole. Finding that the hole wasn’t deep, he took
his helmet and started digging furiously to give himself more cover. Suddenly,
he stuck a metallic object. He felt with his fingers and carefully pried loose
a metal object. It was a silver crucifix left behind by a previous occupant of
the foxhole.
In a moment a chaplain dove into the
foxhole. “Boy, am I glad to see you,” said the soldier. Holding up the crucifix
he asked, “How do you work this thing?”
We smile at the story, yet it
underlines an important fact: we spend most of our lives trying to work God, or
blame Him for things not working. We think He has shortchanged us.
Was God created for our benefit? Or
is it the other way around? A number of years ago, a group of godly men wrote
down and understanding of who God is, and what our relationship to Him should
be. The document is known today as the Westminster Confession of Faith. One of
the first articles in this document is the confession that man’s chief end is
to glorify God and to enjoy God forever. Enjoy God? Is that different from
“working God?” Totally different.
When I choose to glorify God by
recognizing Him as Sovereign and Lord, I cease working God. Instead I allow Him
to work in my life which brings the joy that makes for real happiness. He alone
deserves glory, adoration and worship.
The soldier in the foxhole who wanted
to make the crucifix work isn’t much different from those who are interested in
getting God to see things their way. Thinks about it.
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