THE
ZIPLINE
Sam says... Some years ago, I don’t remember exactly when, Susan and I were in New York City and we happened to wander into FAO Schwartz which, at the time, was a very well-known toy store - especially noted for some of its more unique or exotic items. As we wandered through the overcrowded aisles filled with wide-eyed children and harried parents, we happened to come upon a giant piano keyboard lying in the center of the floor surrounded by curious children and adults alike. The giant keyboard allowed the user to “play” songs by stepping or jumping from key to key. I immediately recognized the keyboard as being a replica of one that was made famous by the wildly successful movie Big starring a then very young Tom Hanks. Most of you reading this may be a bit too young to remember this popular film, but the premise of the movie dealt with a “little” boy being transformed into a “big” adult so that he was required to function in an adult body, live in an adult world and deal with adult issues while still having the mind and maturity of a much younger boy. The title of the movie had somewhat of a double meaning because not only was a small boy made physically “big” but he was required to deal with issues and circumstances that were really “big” for his level of maturity. The longer I live in this world of ours and the more I deal with the complex relations and issues that this world presents, the more I realize how inadequate I am to deal with this in and of myself and the more I am reminded that a key question each of us, as believers, must answer is this: “how “big” is your God?” You see, most of us, if we are really honest with ourselves, tend to compartmentalize God. We try to squeeze him into the context of our individual circumstances. How He is going to help us deal with this issue or that issue which is in the here and now of our individual life. Now understand and be clear about this: God is the God of our individual circumstances. He does, in fact, care deeply about every facet, every event, every moment of your life and He does so in a very personal way. That should never be doubted. But it is also very
important to remember that God is much bigger than our individual circumstances. In the summer when I am at camp, I focus on how God will impact the camp experience which I should and know He will. But it is also important to remember that God is much bigger than simply the God of wherever and whenever you and I are in the journey of our personal life. As we begin to think more broadly about God, we call on Him to heal our nation, to impact the United States of America which we should and He will. But it is important for us to realize that God is much bigger than that. He is much bigger than Donald Trump, much bigger than Hillary Clinton, much bigger than the Supreme Court, much bigger than the United States of America. God is the God of all nations, of all persons and He has a plan. This plan is for you individually but also a plan for all nations, a plan for all mankind and the ultimate redemption of mankind according to his perfect sovereign plan and his perfect sovereign will. The United States of America is a nation of men. God is the ruler of mankind. While we are beyond blessed to be able to live in the greatest nation in all of recorded history, our nation is but a small part in the “bigness” of God. We may not like all the circumstances that exist in our nation. We may mourn for the racial, political and economic perspectives that divide us, which we should. But we must also remember that God is the God of all nations, of all mankind and that nations, all nations, are a part of His plan but are not His only plan. God is much bigger than that. Not only is God the God of mankind, He is the God of all creation. Earlier this year inside some kind of black hole located hundreds of thousands of light years from earth, a system was identified that is as large as our known universe, bigger than what we call “the Milky Way.” The same God that created and cares about you and me individually that created and cares for this tiny little planet on which we exist, created and cares for all of his vast unfathomable creation. He is that “big,” that amazing, that powerful. But God is even bigger than that because not only is God the God of all creation, but equally important, He is the God of all
time. Earlier this fall, not long after camp ended, Susan and I visited some small villages in France. While we were there we toured some churches that were built as early as the 5th century. As we stood in those structures I was reminded that the same God who is present and active in my life, who is present and active in our nation, who is present and active in all of creation, was present and active in the lives of the people who built that church 1,500 years ago and not only that – He was the exact same then as He is now. Circumstances change, cultures change, values unfortunately change, societies change, people change…God never changes. He is constant. He is consistent. He is the exact same yesterday, today and tomorrow. “So Sam,” you say, “what is the point?” Well, the point is simply this. Rest in the bigness of God, revel in the bigness of God, take refuge in the bigness of God. He and He alone is in control. To be blunt, people live and people die. Nations rise and nations fall. Time comes and then is gone. But God and only God remains. He is in control of your circumstances. He is in control of this nation. He is in control of all mankind. He is in control of all creation. He is in control of all time. He is…in control. And He and only He has a sovereign plan which in His and only His sovereign will, in fact, will come to fruition in His and only His sovereign time. His plan is perfect. Rest in that. His will is perfect. Revel in that. His time is perfect. Take refuge in that. Our responsibility on this planet is to seek His face, to seek His will for our lives each and every day within His plan, within His purpose, within His time and to understand that He and He alone is the answer regardless of our individual circumstances that exist this day. Eternity awaits. This we know for sure. The “bigness” of God assures us that He will triumph in the smallness of our existence and that fact alone should be “big” enough for each of us as we face each and every big day. And by the way, just for the record, on that day in New York City years ago, I figured out pretty quickly that I was not near flexible enough to play chopsticks on that “big” piano. Laugh if you will, but before you do how about you give it a try!
Sam