Google-ing God?
Have you ever googled your way into being sick? You research that one little symptom and all of the sudden, you have cancer! If you google deep enough, you will find all symptoms lead to cancer!
Think about how many things we Google each day…recipes, song lyrics, what that weird looking freckle might be…the list could go on and on. We have made “google” a verb!
In our haste for speedy answers, have we outsourced our study of the scriptures to google? Are we trying to Google God?
A couple of years ago, a sweet girl in my Bible study class sent me a text asking if I had prepared a chart of every “spiritual blessing” that Paul talks about in Ephesians 1. I responded that we were going to make a chart of the blessings in class.
In her zeal to find out what every “spiritual blessing” was, she confessed she had googled it and now possessed a list with 78 spiritual blessings! With a big old grin on my face, I texted her back and said, “Don’t let google steal your blessing! God wants to reveal those things to you!”
Why do we turn to the internet or other sources FIRST when it comes to finding out the deep things of God? Why do we skim over a passage when we don’t understand it? Why do we first turn to commentaries or books when a passage has us stumped? In this particular case, I really do believe my student’s zeal for wanting to know what those blessings were drove her to google. But I wonder if zeal is the only thing that drives us to other resources before we ask God for wisdom and revelation?
I know from personal experience that it is a whole lot easier to read someone else’s opinion of what scripture means rather than to spend the time mining out the jewels for ourselves. Sometimes, I have gotten in a hurry preparing for a lesson and thought, “Well, I will just check out what old Matthew Henry has to say about this!”
There is nothing wrong with using these resources, but let’s not go to them first. We don’t want to get our information second hand! A fresh word straight from God, specific for us, is so much better! Then we can go back to these resources and have a better understanding of the whole counsel of God.
In our world of instant gratification and with knowledge at our google-y fingertips, the temptation to find the answers to our spiritual questions apart from God’s Word is tempting. We look for answers written in they sky or want them to magically appear on our computer screens.
Quit looking up…Look down at the page instead! Will it take longer? Yes. Will you have to exert more effort? Yes. But is it worth it to have God’s Word wash over you in a very personal and intimate way? ABSOLUTELY!
Listen…
Do you hear the Master is calling you to come and dine on His Word? Imagine the most elegantly set table with fine china, beautiful hand-crafted silverware, and sparkly crystal goblets. Oh, and not to mention the finest food that will supernaturally nourish every part of your being. This is how I envision Bible study – a meal with the King of Glory!
When we utter, “I just don’t have time to study the Bible today,” we just stood up the God of the Universe. We passed Him by for what…TV, Facebook, or whatever steals our time? We make time for things we want to make time for.
As Moses was speaking to the Children Israel literally hours before he died, he uttered these powerful words concerning the Word of God: For it is not an idle word for you; indeed, it is your life…” Deuteronomy 32:47.
Let’s quit google-ing God. Come find Him in the pages of His Word.
