Instruments in the Hands of God
The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
To most, these verses of Psalm 114 are beautiful poetic imagery. But do we take the time to contemplate that the Presence of God commands this literal reality? In our mind’s eye (or movie depictions), we see Moses at the edge of the Red Sea with outstretched staff and we watch the water magnificently form two surging walls, exposing a dry path between. Yet, neither the staff nor Moses possessed the power for that mighty miracle. God’s Presence on the scene was so fearsome that the water backed away and stood at attention in reverence of its Creator. Equally awesome was the piling up of the Jordan River flood waters so that the nation of Israel could cross on dry ground. From our arm-chair, Bible-reading positions, it is too easy to miss nature itself responding to the overwhelming holiness of God. This same holiness has been experienced in earthquakes and in a blazing mountain-top not consumed by the fire. If this is nature’s reaction to the Presence of God, what does that mean for us?
A number of years ago, the Lord blessed me with an experience that became a turning point in my spiritual walk. Our church was preparing for a Christmas musical drama, and a group of us artists were feverishly working on the set. For preceding productions, we had primarily created scenes by building and painting 3-dimensional structures. But this one also required an expansive backdrop (about 30+ feet long and 15-20 feet high) of painted scenery that included the old city of Jerusalem and the hilly countryside of Bethlehem. This landscape was so daunting to bring to life that none of us wanted to tackle it. So, we gathered as a group and prayed that the Lord, as Master Artist, would use each of us as brushes in His hands. Then we disbursed to work on various individual sections. Our group of six artists represented six different painting styles, levels of expertise, and methods of employing color. The impossible task was marrying that with consistency in directional lighting and shading, and adhering to the requirements of theatrical lighting to give the scene depth. It was not until all the pieces were joined and erected on stage that any of us saw what God had done. Each section blended seamlessly into the whole – as if painted by One Person. Our script-writer/director stood weeping as he was drawn into the experiential reality of the ancient Israel. We artists were overwhelmed with the knowledge of how little we had to do with the outcome apart from being God’s paintbrushes.
The physical Presence of God changes things, whether in nature or through willing human vessels. One of those humble submitted vessels was a 14-year-old girl who without considering societal threats of ostracization or death by stoning responded, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38) God’s Presence in love and power created a baby in a virgin’s womb Who would be the Savior of the world.
What would happen if we saw God’s Presence in our lives through the lens of His all-consuming power and Holiness? That perspective elicits the humility to know that as instruments, we have no power in ourselves, but in Him we can do all things He assigns to us (Philippians 4:13). “For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
What miracle does God want to do through you this Christmas?