I’ve recently read a very interesting book called, “Fixing Abraham” by Chris Tiegreen (published by Tyndale Publishing). The book deals with the way God worked in the lives of many biblical characters and how we’ve cleaned up the way God worked to make it a little more acceptable and “in our image.” If you really stop to think about it, some of the ways, if not most, God’s worked were really out there from a cultural point of view.

The book made me think about how God just might be working through some folks today. Many times I find myself shaking my head at them, but perhaps I simply need to keep my thoughts to myself. It just might be God doing something that doesn’t fit my way of thinking or my preferences.

I wonder how many of us would have accepted Isaiah as a prophet? Or how many of us would have looked at Paul as being an apostle? And how many of us would have considered that a pregnant teenage girl was really being used of God to bring His one and only Son to redeem us? And she was still a virgin!

Mary and the virgin birth of Christ………it wasn’t nice and neat; it wasn’t orderly, not to mention it wasn’t acceptable. But Mary leads the way in showing us how to respond to the “strange” workings of God. After the angel told her what God was up to, her response was, "I am the Lord's servant; May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38 NIV)

For Mary, trusting in God was wrapped up in that one statement……”May it be to me as you have said.” And then she responded by simply “pondering” all these things. She didn’t jump to a conclusion or jump to judgment. I don’t know if she had figured it out at the cross. She may not have figured it out until she met Jesus again in heaven at the end of her existence on the earth.

Sometimes it takes us awhile to recognize that the things going on around us are really the work of God in our lives to bring about His plan for the ages. I’m prone to quick judgments; expressing opinions; and trying to make everything right, according to my understanding of what decent and orderly are about. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not whether God is working or not, the question is more about my acceptance of what He is doing and HOW He is doing it.

In the Church today, around the world, there is a lot going on. Some of it I like, and some of it simply isn’t my cup of tea. But I’m working on being quiet about the things that are not my cup of tea. It just might be God using someone who is different than me and it might be God doing something that doesn’t fit my cultural view or even my theology. (Which means my theology needs to change!)

When that happens, I just need to back up, remember that I’m His servant and whatever the Master desires to happen, is okay and how He desires it to happen is okay as well.

Excuse me now while I take some time to sit and ponder.

Always in Pursuit!