Do you know why most of us miss the adventure? It’s because we’ve never learned to plug our theology into our biography. —Tim Hansel
God.
That’s a very simple word: God. Three letters, one syllable, very easy to say. We see this word on our money; we print it on our bumper stickers and plaster it on billboards. Preachers say it with such confidence as if they have the meaning of this word all figured out. God—squished in a box of fancy-sounding words and quotations by long-dead theologians. Too often, we hear this word thrown around casually and carelessly, like punctuation at the beginning or the end of a sentence. It’s even common to hear someone use His name as an outcry of petty disgust!
What does God mean? Does belief in what stands behind that little word matter? The answer is an unquestionable “yes.” Different beliefs about it have caused wars and have healed families. The word God has been used for great comfort and misused, causing great pain. It causes some to feel peace and others to boil with anger.
The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. (Proverbs 14:15)
Polls tell us that an overwhelming majority of Americans “believe in God.” I’m assuming that if you’re reading this devotional, you “believe in God,” too. But do you know what you believe when you say that? What do you mean when you say, “God”? As more of God’s nature is revealed through the Bible in the coming weeks, I hope and pray that your understanding of and belief in Him will be deepened and sweetened.
God, open my heart, mind, and soul to Your Word as we learn more about who You are. I already “believe in You,” but I want to Believe in You! Reveal Yourself to me so I can live in You in new, truthful ways. Amen.