Is God outside of your box?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)

I heard a true story one time about this pastor who had a conversation with this one lady. This lady appeared to be very angry for no apparent reason. The Pastor noticed how upset she was and he felt the Lord told him to tell the lady something. The Lord said “Tell that woman that I hate mommy’s and daddy’s”. Of course the pastor shook it off thinking how crazy and that couldn’t have come from God. But the pastor kept getting this word from God ever so strongly that he couldn’t ignore it. “God hates mommy’s and daddy’s is all he kept hearing. So, very reluctantly he said to the woman, “I’m not sure why but I feel very strongly the Lord wants me to tell you that He hates mommy’s and daddy’s.” Immediately she teared up and wept! Come to find out the pastor said that she was molested as a child and the game her perpetrator played with her, he called “mommy’s and daddy’s”!

The Lord Jesus knew what she went through as a child and He also knew what she needed to hear at that very moment. Of course, God does not hate mommy and daddy’s but He wanted her to know that He hates what she went through and therefore she could come to Jesus to get healing. God knew that was going to be the only thing that would break through to her hard angry heart. That pastor had to be willing to step outside of whatever box he may have put God in. Now, I believe, in order to obey something like that, you need to be really moved a lot by the Spirit.

I often like to use the story of Hosea as a great example of God working outside of our pre-conceived ideas of how He works. I mean really, what if you felt like God said to you, Go and marry that prostitute that lives in that bad part of town. Oh, and by the way, after you get married, she will cheat on you several times with other men and having their babies, but I want you to father them and love her anyway! Wow! Would you think, No way! There is no way that came from God! But the fact is He works mysteriously. If you think that you have God all figured out or at least that He would never do something a certain way, watch out! He might surprise you.

There was one time a couple of years ago, I felt the Lord tell me to move in a trailer park in a bad part of town where there was an infestation of drugs, black magic, and prostitutes. I know because I used to hang out in that area when I lived a sinful lifestyle. Now, this was for the purpose of ministering to the needs and the people there being that I was involved in a ministry at the time. But, after He told me that, He provided a trailer for free! That was the first confirmation that this was from God. The second confirmation was a day that I was really struggling with doubt that God really spoke to me. I mean I was really in fear that I was going to make a huge mistake! So I prayed and then had my quiet time with the Lord. I opened my devotional book “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers, and this is what it said for June 18th…

"If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him."

I was blown away! That did it! I knew exactly what I needed to do. But, there were a few challenges to overcome. I had no refrigerator, stove, and the trailer didn’t even have a furnace and I had absolutely no money! It was July so, I knew I had some time. I prayed for God to provide, after all He wanted me to do this. By the beginning of fall I had everything donated and then some, including a furnace right when it was starting to get just a little chilly.

But some people were telling me not to do it. That it was a foolish thing to do. It doesn’t make since. You know what, God doesn’t have to make since to us. He doesn’t tell us we need to understand. He doesn’t say it needs to make since to us. He simply requires us to do one thing – Obey! Its good to pray and seek many council, but don’t ask questions on trying to figure it out. Just be reckless immediately!

If you don’t allow God to work outside of the box that you may have put Him in, then you will miss out on some very interesting miracles of God and awesome testimonies for your faith. Allow Him to move in ways you didn’t think He would do. The phrase of “putting God in a box” is really very ridiculous. God will have His way and only His way no matter what you think or how you think He will do it. He is God! He just might move on to find someone willing to have their faith stretched.

-Doug McGowan