Our Image of God

Most of us probably have known people who are demanding, who always seem to want more than they give. We feel manipulated to be in such relationships and come away after each encounter feeling drained. Sometimes we can be demanding and manipulative in our relationship with God. We can treat God like a giant cosmic vending machine or even as a fool proof insurance policy. We expect God to pander to our every request and when things don't go our way, wonder why God is not concerned about us!

If we consider God to be a giant vending machine, then prayer is our currency. We think God will answer every prayer and we only need ask. If God answered every prayer, what a disaster this world would be! He knows better than we do.
Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We need to understand that God is sovereign, omniscient and He knows what is best and has our best interests in His heart, even more than we do! Sometimes, He answers, “No,” just as a good parent does. When our prayers are not answered the way we expect it, we need to understand that God has not disappointed us, but the image of God that we have has disappointed us.

Another image that we can have of God is that of God as a fail proof insurance policy. We think that we just need to go to church, tithe, pray everyday and as long as we do what a good Christian will do, that God owes us to keep us out of trouble. Another image that we can have is of God as a Superhero who will swoop down and rescue us in the nick of time when we are in trouble. Though there is an element of truth in each of these characters, just building our image of God solely on any of these images, is setting us for disappointment. We need to understand that God is always there for us - through the bad and the good times, in the stable times and the storm, in the joy and the pain.
Hebrews 13:5
...God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Matthew 28:20b
..."And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
At no time has God left us to our own devices. At no time have we been forsaken. God has always been present, whether we felt God or not. In short, God has never disappointed us but only our image of God has.

Are you disappointed with God? Reflect on what your image of God has been. If you have been thinking of God as a vending machine, an insurance policy or a SuperHero - you have set yourself up for disappointment. God is there for you, He knows what is best for you. Reflect on God's answer to Job when Job was disappointed with the image of God he had in his mind.
Job 38:3-11
Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? .... (read Job 38:42)
Correct yourself like how Job corrected himself and have a real understanding of who He is.
Job 42:3,5-6
Then Job replied to the LORD : "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.... My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."