I’m Thankful For A God Not Bound By ….

I’m thankful for a God that is not bound by land.  I was reading my devotions the other night and came across the end of Proverbs 2, talking about … For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land,”  (Proverbs 2: 21-22).  I read that and thought – okay, I know this might be literal, but surely there is more behind it than just land. 

My pastor (thank you!) was a big help as I tossed that question out the next day in a quick e-mail.  I had forgotten that God was thought of as being polytheistic in the Old Testament.   Polytheism is a big strange sound word, but pull it apart and you have poly (many) theism (god) – or many gods.  People at the time attached the belief that God or the gods could only be found in a certain land.

So, if you think about it like that – Proverbs 21 and 22 takes on a whole new meaning.  A blessing would be to remain in the land, to remain with God.  While it would truly be a terrible penance to be removed from the land where God was.  Now of course, we know that God is not really stuck behind man made boundaries.  But, how thankful I am to have a God that is not bound by those lines.  Instead, He has made the very dirt, mountains, rivers, and plains that are divided out on the maps. 

I’m thankful for a God that is not bound by my lack of understanding.  Even when the ancient peoples thought that they could not take their gods away from certain lands, God was already there – in all of them.  I don’t really understand how it all works.  But, I’m thankful that I don’t have to understand to make it work, to pull it all together.  Instead, I can rely and trust on a God that is not bound by my lack of understanding. 

I’m thankful for a God that is not bound by those man made maps.  There is no sign, no line, no No Trespassing sign that can turn God from entry.  I’m thankful for a God that does not turn back when the signs don’t look inviting, when the hospitality is not gracious but cold instead.  I’m thankful for a God that is not bound by the warmth of an entry, the crossing of lines on a map.

I’m thankful for a God that is not bound by the little petty, man made boxes, or the lack of understanding.