Is God In Aladdin's Lamp?
“All things work together for good….” (Romans 8:28)
Is your God in Aladdin’s lamp?
I get mad at that god sometimes. I rub the lamp with much prayer and yet He doesn’t grant me any of my three wishes. The last time was an immature and childish attempt at getting my Genie to help me play golf better. I mentioned in another post my score of 102. What I didn’t mention is that I tried to put the blame on God for not helping me do better, being the righteous person that I considered myself to be….I deserved a couple of wishes, or birdies. What I got was triple bogies or what my golf buddies like to call TFBs. You can ask them what that means.
But that Genie god is not the God of the bible. It is the God of men and their religions. He is seen as some powerful entity sitting on a throne somewhere in Heaven just waiting for us to get his attention by rubbing the lamp with just the right amount of prayer time and faith.
Is your God in Aladdin’s lamp?
I get mad at that god sometimes. I rub the lamp with much prayer and yet He doesn’t grant me any of my three wishes. The last time was an immature and childish attempt at getting my Genie to help me play golf better. I mentioned in another post my score of 102. What I didn’t mention is that I tried to put the blame on God for not helping me do better, being the righteous person that I considered myself to be….I deserved a couple of wishes, or birdies. What I got was triple bogies or what my golf buddies like to call TFBs. You can ask them what that means.
But that Genie god is not the God of the bible. It is the God of men and their religions. He is seen as some powerful entity sitting on a throne somewhere in Heaven just waiting for us to get his attention by rubbing the lamp with just the right amount of prayer time and faith.
Again, that is the Genie of Aladdin’s lamp, not the God of the bible.
The God of the Bible is working "all things together for good", according to His purpose. He does not need our help and our continuous prayer is not going to make Him treat us better. Prayer is good, but it is intended to give us peace as we “toss our entire worry on Him” knowing that there is a "sequel" to our struggles, one in which we are completed in His image.
“…toss your entire worry on Him, for He is caring for you…faithful is God, Who will not be leaving you to be tried above what you are able, but, together with the trial, will be making a sequel also...” (1 Peter 5:7; 1 Corinthians 10:13 CLNT)
In that “sequel” mankind is destined to become like Him, but not now. Now we must suffer from time to time. That is part of His work in progress toward His goal to complete us in His image in the new creation - the one that happens upon our resurrection to immortality.
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind…He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Timothy 1:8-12)
The God of the Bible is working "all things together for good", according to His purpose. He does not need our help and our continuous prayer is not going to make Him treat us better. Prayer is good, but it is intended to give us peace as we “toss our entire worry on Him” knowing that there is a "sequel" to our struggles, one in which we are completed in His image.
“…toss your entire worry on Him, for He is caring for you…faithful is God, Who will not be leaving you to be tried above what you are able, but, together with the trial, will be making a sequel also...” (1 Peter 5:7; 1 Corinthians 10:13 CLNT)
In that “sequel” mankind is destined to become like Him, but not now. Now we must suffer from time to time. That is part of His work in progress toward His goal to complete us in His image in the new creation - the one that happens upon our resurrection to immortality.
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind…He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Timothy 1:8-12)
I am sure I will keep rubbing the lamp from time to time, that is just my immature human nature, but my trust will remain in the God of the bible, not Aladdin's Lamp.