It is hard to imagine life without fire. We wouldn’t be able to cook our meals, warm our houses, drive our cars, or manufacture most of our goods. Fire is a key part of so many things which make up our lives. Without it, we would be lost. But for all the good fire produces, we take very seriously the warning, “Don’t play with fire!” The thinking behind that caution is obvious for anyone who has witnessed an out of control, scorching blaze.
The same warning about not playing with danger needs to be applied to God. We don’t usually think of God as dangerous, but if we treat him lightly or as irrelevant, we will find reality to be very different. God’s committed love for human beings is indissolubly tied to his justice. If God’s goodness and righteousness are assaulted by human rebellion, He cannot sit idly by without asserting his justice on behalf of goodness and righteousness. We don’t often consider the truth that God cannot be good and loving if he is not also just and holy. It is, what we call, one of those inconvenient truths because it demands that we take God far more seriously than we typically do.
When things are going well, we find it very natural to put God into a little corner of our lives with the intention that he is going to be quiet and mind his own business while we go about ours. If things go south and we need some help, then we demand him to take action. In essence, God becomes a genie in a bottle, only with the unlimited wish subscription. That’s playing with God. But playing with God is not only unwise, it is unsafe. God isn’t molded into what we want Him to be nor is He mocked by our attempt to manipulate Him. He is “all” everything in every way. You don’t mess with that. But why would you want to mess with God…especially when you look at the cross of Christ and understand how much He wants you to be part of his family?
If you sense you’ve been playing with God recently, join us for one of our weekend worship services. Now, rather than later, is to get serious about the One who is eternally serious about you.
Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday:
10:00 am
