It’s so easy to over-complicate God.
I’ve definitely done that a lot. I’ll pray about something, and I think it’s going to take–I don’t know, maybe two hours. Or I’ll have to pray about sixteen times in my closet before God will give it to me. Something like that.
But that’s not what God said.
God said He has everything we need before we even ask for it. (Matthew 6:8)
Dad told me this the other day, and it was really profound.
“Don’t think you have to wait until a later time to find God,” he said. “It’s available right now. If you wait, you won’t receive what God has for you.”
I saw that demonstrated the next day. I had a list of things that needed to be done. But amidst my busy-ness, I was craving fellowship with others.
There’s something powerful about connecting with other believers and talking about what God is doing. Growing up in church, I never understood the point of communion.
Now I realize what those little wafers and cups of juice represented. Now I realize what Jesus meant when He told His disciples: “Take, eat; this is My Body.”
Believers are the Body of Christ. In the Body of Christ, our fellowship with each other is lifeblood.
Anyways, back to what I was saying. So: a laundry list of things to do, praying about fellowship with others, I was working away.
God, in His simplicity, showed up in the middle of my day.
God stirred me to make a phonecall while I worked. I got on the phone with a believer I knew as I got ready to go shopping. I chatted away while I got in my truck and started driving to the store.
Little did I know, just when God directed me to call, this guy was just getting into town. He was only coming to town for a few hours in that entire week. Lo and behold, I was calling him in that short window.
“You’re in town?” I said, surprised. “Where are you?”
“I’m about to make a turn at the refinery,” he said.
“Are you serious?” I asked him. “That’s where I am.”
God directed me past all knowing to call him and pull up directly behind him. We were heading to the same parking lot. I so much enjoyed watching God set that whole meeting up.
Believers in Communist countries have a great way of keeping the government spies from crashing their underground meetings.
They only meet when and where God directs them. It frustrates the government spies, because they can’t figure out how everyone just knows where to meet.
This felt like that.
We stopped together to eat. I heard about how God was healing his family’s connections. Freeing him from a paralytic inability to express. Filling him with joy and causing him to dance to the Lord, sometimes literally. Building in his life something new that I rejoiced to witness God begin the summer before.
It encouraged me, exhorted me, being able to hear his testimonies. It also challenged me, and stirred my own spirit as I was able to relate what God was doing in my own life.
Even after, God directed my footsteps past my knowing. I just so “happened” to be in the perfect place to pick something up for him he needed afterwards.
My prayer to be led by God didn’t need to be complicated.
It didn’t take more brainpower or spirituality than a simple request.
I read once about Jesus appearing in a vision to a man. Jesus said: “I always kept things very simple when I explained things. I talked in terms the people could understand. I talked about shepherds, sheepfolds, vineyards, grapes, and so forth. That’s so they could easily understand.”
I’ve seen it true in my own life. If it’s complicated, it’s likely not from God. Not to say God can’t unveil deeper things. As Paul said: “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature…” (1 Corinthians 2:6)
But overall the truth of God is remarkably simple. A foolishness that “puts to shame the wise”. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
I read about a missionary ministering to the Navajo Indians. One giant Native American was particularly troublesome. He only showed to church when he was drunk out of his mind. He’d go on such a rampage when he would, breaking pews and ripping apart the pulpit, the reservation police couldn't even handle him. The man was so large and ferocious, it took three carloads of deputies to deal with him.
One Sunday night, he showed up drunk again. The missionary was preaching especially simply, as many in the audience had little formal education. He preached a simple text, Romans 10:13: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The big man charged the altar.
Alarmed, the preacher and staff were on edge, ready for typical damage control.But once he got there, the giant Native American fell over the altar, and yelled three words:
“Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!”
Everyone was shocked. They rushed forward to help him “get saved properly”. But he stood up quickly.
They urged him to get back down and pray or repent more, assuming it couldn’t have happened that fast, given his notorious past.
“No,” he said. “I’m saved.”
“You can’t be saved that quickly,” they argued.
“Weren’t you just preaching about this?” he asked. “You can pray if you want, but God just saved me!!”
That man had a miraculous transformation from that moment forward. The missionary realized he didn’t even believe his own preaching!
As I’ve personally witnessed great men and women of faith, I’ve been surprised by something.
I’ve been surprised by how ordinary they are.
From the outside, you might overlook them.Yet they have experienced God in ways that would astonish you.
God doesn’t need our complications. He doesn’t need our books on theology or our dissertations on doubt.
The kingdom of God is made so simple, you must become like a child to enter in.
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