Never a Coincidence

I've come to believe in the last while that there is no such thing as a coincidence. God is ALWAYS working, and ALWAYS has a plan. From the smallest thing to the biggest thing, I believe that everything we experience in life has been created by God to teach us something, or show us something, or answer something... we just aren't always paying attention.

Early this week I was doing my devotions. I do one devotional out of a publication called InTouch magazine that I get in the mail (it's free, and you can sign up for it online here). Then I do the devotional that is right in my Sanctuary Bible. That particular day the passage that was spoken on was the same in both devotionals! Interesting. I didn't heed much attention to it, and sort of wrote it off as a coincidence because the passage didn't immediately speak to me. Later that night I had to get up for James, and couldn't get back to sleep. I started to talk to God, and He reminded me about the two matching passages from my devotionals in the evening.

"What does it mean God?" I asked. He replied, "Think about the most recent blog comments you have received."

I knew right away which comment He meant. I had received it a few days before, and had talked to God about it - but hadn't gotten a clear answer. Here was the comment, in regards to my post "The Shack: Is It Heresy?".

It really doesn't matter what you think, it matters what is. Simply put what Paul Young says next to scripture and you will see for yourself that the views he puts forward are not orthodox and are in fact heretical and that is why no one would publish the book. God the Father does not have any marks from the Crucifixion only the Son does. You are not free to reimage God in the image of a woman. He gave us a way to relate to him and it is as father.

God then revealed to me how the matching passages of Scripture answered my questions regarding this comment. This is what He told me:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1 & 14

This passage from John was the one that came up twice in the devotionals. I believe that God is saying that He and Jesus are One. If God so chooses to bear the wounds from the cross, He can do so - because He bore our sins upon Himself, just as much as Jesus physically bore them. The Shack is a fictional book, and the author simply chose for the sake of the storyline to have God show his hands with the nail holes. I don't believe that in the context of the book, or by Biblical standards, that this is really heresy. When I think about how Jesus was God's Son, I also think about how everything that happens to MY son also effects ME. What hurts James, hurts me. This is not indifferent with God the Father and His Son Jesus.

Secondly, God reminded me of this passage from Genesis:

"So God created man in his OWN image, in the image of God he created him; MALE and FEMALE he created them." Genesis 1:27

If God created us in His own image - and we have been created as both male and female, why could God not decide to manifest Himself as a woman if He chose to? A female is just as much made in God's image as a male. Yes, in most cases God would portray Himself as a Father, and as male. However, The Shack is still a fictional book and the author chose to show that God portrayed Himself as a woman in a portion of it. There were reasons given in the book as to why God did that. Whether God would do that in real life? I don't know. But how many songs and stories have we heard where someone was told that God would be visiting them, and instead of "God" they had an old man, a beggar woman, or a child show up at their door. In stories like that it is always revealed that God was IN those other people. It goes to show that God can do ANYTHING, and be ANYONE. I believe that's why He asks us to "love one another". You just never know when you might be in the presence of God!

I hope that helps clear some things up, but also just wanted to share with you a really great God moment. Remember, nothing is a coincidence - but a God-incidence! Try to use those moments for the glory of God.