Catching Idle Butterflies

If you love me . . .

Caught another butterfly!

One thing I’ve learned about the many people of the Bible is their humanness. Every one has their deep character flaws, and commissions of sometimes horrific acts. And yet, God chose them in spite of those flaws. It proves that God loves us not out of merit, but something else. It means, though we cannot measure up to God’s, or even our own standards, He can still use us for a greater purpose, things we could never achieve on our own. I am no better or worse than God’s chosen, even way back at the beginning of time.

Jacob is one such character. He was a deceiver, stealing not only his older brother’s birthright, but his father’s blessing.

Still God chose him to carry His promise to Abraham and make him a great and fruitful nation. Jacob also reflects what I’ve done many times, and will likely continue to do:

Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” ~Genesis 28:20-22

Notice all the qualifiers in that passage? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed, “If you’ll do this for me, then I will do that. If you show me this, then I will know you love me, etc, etc, etc.”

It’s hard not to. We are a people used to give and take. We have a difficult time imagining someone giving for giving’s sake. Even though we might accept a gift with no strings attached, we still feel obligated to return something of equal or greater value.

Some religions and religious people fault others for humanizing God. How can we not, though? We want a God who understands our joys and our pains, not so far above us He’s unreachable. The problem is we sometimes expect God to act human in all the ways we act. As we negotiate the terms of our actions and wants with others, we assume God will do and expect the same.

I believe God would have still chosen Jacob over Esau if Jacob had not made that vow. What God wanted was more important than the person chosen to carry it out. God proves time and again He has a sense of humor and irony by choosing the least of a family or group of people to further His Will, not the so-called best.

If Jacob the deceiver could be used by God, then perhaps I can, too.

I’m looking forward to this week’s Disciple readings. It’s titled “Wrestling with God.” I love to wrestle with God, and I do it all the time. Why, you ask, when I lose every time? I guess it’s how you define loss. In wrestling with God, I vent my angers, and frustrations. In response, He teaches me where I erred, and I am always wiser and stronger at the end. How is that a loss?