Just my Imagination

Scripture: "There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your help, and through the skies in His majesty. The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:26

Observation: The old testament writers were really connected to the majesty of God. Almost anytime they write about him the illustrations we see are quite amazing.

Application: Flash Gordon. Han Solo. Captain Kirk. Indiana Jones. Those were the men that boys of my time dreamed about. Not to mention the Million Dollar Man, Superman, Spiderman and the many other super heroes that came out of my era. I wanted to be like each of them. I would allow my imagination to run wild as I would re-enact scenes from the movies or shows I had watched. They were men of greatness and I desired to be just like them. Chase down the bad guys, defeat them in a fierce battle, save everyone, and leave with the girl. That was my dream and it is where I accumulated most of the millions of day dream miles I have in my account. I longed to be like or close to the characters listed above. In fact, other than the old and fat Shatner, I still feel a sense of connection to the men who portrayed these roles when I see them on TV.

It really is a shame that the world is so much better at glorifying fictitious characters and made up plots than believers are at painting a picture of just who God is. As vividly as I remember the characters of the movies and shows listed above, it is much harder to find childhood imagery painted in my mind by teachers from the churches I attended. Not saying anything negative about the teachers, they led me to Christ and taught me many things. It was just hard for them to compete. They only got me for an hour each week. And to be honest most of the material they used was shallow. In addition to suffering the restraints of time and being ill-equipped, my childhood teachers also suffered another obstacle. No one ever taught them the majesty of God that dwells inside of us. Most of the sermons I can remember talk of God as an outside being that we can never relate to or come in contact with.

That is the beauty of what I read in 1 Corinthians 2:12, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God." I can never be like Han Solo. I will never live the adventure of Indiana Jones. I can watch movies all I want, but those characters can never deliver to me their spirit. But look at what Paul says, I have received the Spirit that is from God. The same Spirit that rides through the heavens and the sky is alive and at work inside of me.

Prayer: Thou shall not have any other gods before me. Those words are ringing in my ears this morning as I come to realize just how many times I have yearned to be like other men, both real and fictional. There is just so much about you that I do not understand. So many things that lie beyond what I can fathom. This morning I pray that You return to me a sense of child-like wonder at the majesty of Your works and that I will become enamored with the power of Your Spirit inside of me. Open my eyes today to the works of Your hands. May all my dreams lead back to You. May all the energy of my imagination be used in pursuit of a better understanding of who You are and to grasp the riches of Your spirit inside of me.