My title for this devotion is My perception of God vs the Reality of God.
Perception and reality are often two different things. Living in Indiana we have fickle weather. One Wednesday a few weeks ago it was -31. Not wind chill. -31! Three days later on a Saturday it was pushing 60 degrees. Go figure. Just last week the sun was shining brightly. After days of gray and even rain, it looked so warm and inviting. It wasn’t. In reality it was sunny but a bitter cold wind whipping at 15-20 mph put the weather in the low 20s. Wind chill was lower.
Perception = sunny and warm and comfortable. Reality = windy and downright bone-chilling cold.
We do that with God. We often judge God by His willingness to do for us. If he doesn’t quite perform as we want Him to (sort of like the proverbial monkey with the organ grinder) we get upset and think God doesn’t love us. Our perception of God messes up our view of who God really is and what He’s really like. We tend to evaluate God’s goodness by the way He responds to us.
For example, let’s suppose I set my heart on something. Take your pick. I might “name it and claim it.” I might pray earnestly-even invoking “not my will but yours be done” into the prayer. I might firmly believe God will answer my prayer. But what if He doesn’t grant my desire? Does that make Him any less God? Does that make Him any less good? Does that make Him any less caring and loving? I submit to you the answer is No to all the above questions. My perception does not change the reality of who God is and what His character is like.
God knows what is best and perhaps what I am asking, begging, even pleading for is not what God deems best. In my mind, that makes Him even more loving because that tells me He is looking our for my welfare.
“Father, who You are doesn’t change based on my perception, on what I think. You are God. Your are good. And I will trust You.”
Perception vs Reality… in Life… of God.
I see it no different. I see the world through the colored lenses of my experience, upbringing, and encounters. I can’t help to think I see God through my same tented lenses. Despite how much I try, I will have a view of God that likely differs from every other person. Does that mean God is different for everyone… absolutely not.
What I see vs what others see does not make what we see different. This is true for God as well. God is constant… and some day… I will see God as He is, without my tainted lenses.
Bill, thanks for the perspective.
You’re welcome Ryan. I think you might have missed my point. In spite of how I may see things, God is not always as I perceive him to be. NO matter how I perceive things God is still the same. I may be mad he does not answer a prayer or whatever, but he still loves me. My perception may be skewed, but He is not.
Oh, yes, our perceptions can truly trip us up if we’re not careful. How we see things is definitely not how God sees us, and I’m so grateful for that! Great reflection, as always, Bill. Blessings!
I’m grateful also Martha that God doesn’t always see things as I do. What a mess it would be!