Bussin’
Series: Always Relevant: God is
Psalm 40:4-5 MSG
Job 9:4-11 MSG
Saying God is amazing and awesome is God in 21st Century language is akin to saying God is bussin’! Bussin is God!
God is timeless in any language but as generations come and go, our relevant descriptions of God change.
In Psalm 40:4-5 we are told by David,
“Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,” ignore what the world worships;The world’s a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts.Nothing and no one compares to you!I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words.Neither numbers nor words account for you.”
There have been times in my life when I was discouraged. Looking back, it seems like that’s because life didn’t turn out like I expected. While I wasn’t angry with God and I didn’t blame God, I lost my sense of purpose.
I lost hope.
I think that’s because when I was young I thought I knew what my life would look like. I really was looking at the world through rose colored glasses.
What I didn’t know when I was young is that God’s love for me and for us is really bigger and deeper than I could imagine. See, I wanted life to be easy. I didn’t want it to be hard. I didn’t care if it was deep. And if going deep meant it was going to be difficult and I had to suffer, I didn’t want it.
I had read the book of Job.
In Job 9:4-11 he wrote, “God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece?He moves mountains before they know what’s happened, flips them on their heads on a whim.He gives the earth a good shaking up, rocks it down to its very foundations.He tells the sun, ‘Don’t shine,’ and it doesn’t; he pulls the blinds on the stars.All by himself he stretches out the heavens and strides on the waves of the sea.He designed the Big Dipper and Orion, the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri.We’ll never comprehend all the great things he does; his miracle-surprises can’t be counted.Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don’t see him; quietly but surely he’s active, and I miss it.”
When I was young I knew very little about the mystery of God. I didn’t know what it was like to have God move in front of me and know the breath of God.
I had experienced the power of God and I thought that was the most important element. It wasn’t.
Knowing God intimately didn’t happen overnight.
First, I had to want it.
I had to wait for it.
I had to suffer and feel alone.
Then, and only then did I come to know the fullness of the wonder of God. When I really sought God with all my heart, and I told God I wanted more, I had to die to myself.
I had to let go of the life I thought I wanted.
Doing that wasn’t easy. It didn’t feel good.
I was confused.
I wish I could tell you the change in me happened overnight, but I can’t say that. It took time. When I was afraid and confused I told God I was letting go of everything I’d wanted. I let go of the ‘sure thing’ David wrote about in Psalm 40. I told God that nothing else mattered except knowing God.
I wanted to know the amazement (bussin’) of God.
I knew I didn’t want to miss it when God passed by me. I told God I wanted to know when He was coming from afar so I could experience the wonder of God.
When I came to a point where I wanted God and I knew nothing else mattered except God, my eyes were opened. God had been closer than I could imagine. God was in me. In order to really realize that I had to let go of earthly things and that included the hopes and plans I had for myself.
One final note…I also learned that I was carrying too much. I was carrying pain and hurt and God wanted me to let go. Jesus wanted to carry it for me. So I released it into Jesus’ capable hands. When the feeling would come back I thanked Jesus for continuing to carry it for me.
THAT, my friends is bussin’!
Spiritual Practice: Let Go
If you are carrying a burden, give it to Jesus. If you still feel it from time to time that can mean it’s a really heavy burden to you. Thank Jesus for continuing to carry it.
In God, Deborah