22: Living in God's Reality

Galen

Sep 12

"Come on, get real!" You've probably heard that. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that someone has even said it to you at some point in the past. It is usually said when someone thinks that you aren't being realistic.

But what constitutes reality? The concept of what exists and what is real has captivated philosophers for thousands of years. It might seem simple to you, but some have asked the question of human existence itself. This search for reality led to the conclusion, "I think. Therefore I am."

Defining reality isn't always easy. Especially if you are a Christian. Here's what I mean: we think we know reality. We know many of the laws of science and nature – we know that when you throw a ball in the air, it will come back down (unless you can throw it at escape velocity, which you can't). We know that if you push against a rock, it will exert an equal and opposite reaction in the opposite direction. Based on the rules of thermodynamics, we know that things are winding down. But what would happen if those things weren't reality?

What is reality to God? Phil Claycomb once said that "Reality is a malleable thing. Reality doesn't exist for God." What did he mean? Simply this: as humans, we are "bound" by reality – by the rules which we can see and observe at work in nature. But God, quite honestly, isn't bound by any of that stuff. Consider these examples:

FIRST: the parting of the Red Sea. It just isn't a realistic possibility for people to walk through a sea on dry ground with the water piled up on both sides, right? God apparently didn't know about that part of reality.

SECOND: the virgin birth. It can't happen, right? Apparently, God didn't know about that, either.

THIRD: the resurrection. People just can't come back from the dead. Someone apparently forgot to tell God that it couldn't happen. But happen it did!

Here's the point: when it fits His sovereign purposes, God changes reality to fit His vision. Why is that important to us? Because it means that miracles can happen, that "reality" as we know it, can be suspended, even changed, and overruled when necessary in order to achieve what God wants.

God will move mountains, divide the waters, and raise the dead in order to achieve His purposes – including His purpose for your life!

Jeremiah 32:27 – I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (NIV)

PRAYER: Lord, sometime today we may be tempted to think that we are outside of Your love for us. It is at those moments that we need You to hold us the closest so that we never forget we can never outlive or out sin Your love for us! In Jesus' name, Amen

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