When God draws us near to him in faith, we learn the excitement of his infinite capabilities.
He is all knowing. He is all powerful. He is present everywhere. His forgiveness has no conditions. He can do miracles. He can answer prayers. He rules the universe.
So our minds argue with our hearts when he doesn’t act powerfully, dramatically and decisively to help us, heal us, decide things for us, or deliver all kinds of blessings to our doorstep like the Amazon truck.
We know he can. We study the Scriptures and see he’s done it before. So why not with us?
Because God delights in you, and he wants you to delight in him. That’s love. It’s affection. It’s self-sacrifice. It’s adoration. And in this case it’s the only noble and righteous addiction. Consumed with God!
But God’s power cannot make you love him.
Performing dramatic miracles for you is not going to draw you close to God more intimately and trustingly.
Hurling thunderbolts at every one of your problems is not going to fill you with desires that are stronger for God than anything or anyone else.
The power of God is not sufficient to win your heart.
Consider a prisoner of war camp where the guards overpower the prisoners. They apply force, make prisoners renounce things, reveal things, curse their families or country, and even kill their closest friends. All this is within the power of the guards. But they cannot force prisoners to love them.
Consider a company of employees who work for an organization with a leader you know as “boss.” The power of the boss can make you give up your personal interests, eat cafeteria food or not eat at all, drive brutal commutes to and from the office, dress a certain way and even slip into unethical behavior or get fired. All this is within the power of the boss. But bosses cannot force employees to love them.
God doesn’t want prisoners or paid employees. He wants saved sinners who are free to love. Forgiven by his grace and inspired—first by his love—to delight in him as an expression of faith that is not forced, coerced or manipulated.
That doesn’t need a display of power, but the delight of love. “For the Lord takes delight in his people” (Psalm 149:4). There’s no question that the Lord God of the Bible takes delight in saving sinners. The only question is: do you delight in his love, or simply demand to see his power serve your plans?
PRAYER: All-powerful God, you promise that your love delights in saving sinners. Convince me by your grace that your anger and justice for my sins are satisfied by Jesus Christ. Let my faith see and feel your faithful and merciful love. And then delight in you above all things. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: Read Song of Songs chapter 3. Many believe that this Old Testament poetry is a man and woman expressing their intimate love for each other, in order to give us a picture of God’s intimate love and delight for believers. Do you see in this chapter how power serves love?