Slot machine God?

I got one of those forwarded emails today, you know the kind that's probably been around the world 187 times. This one told me that if I repeated their prayer, I would receive lots of money. It actually said that someone who used this "formula" received the exact amount of money they needed to pay off their credit card! Can you believe that?

I was shocked at first, until I really stopped to think about it. How often do we treat God like an ATM machine? Push all the right buttons, and out pops whatever you want. Sometimes I think we view Him as a slot machine. Although we don't really expect to win, we'll invest a dime or two, yank the arm and if we're lucky, we'll hit the jackpot. Blessings will fall at our feet. Bells will ring. Life will be good.

God does want us to live an abundant life (John 10:10). He loves to bless us (Matt 7:11). However, as with any other relationship, we are going to have times of growth, sadness, frustration, questions, pain, even discipline. God wants our love as much as we want His blessings. He wants to walk, sit, talk, laugh and cry with us. He wants to share life with us.

Picture this. God is at a work table. He's forming something with His hands. He's bent over the table with His work-light beaming down on the new creation. He turns it ever so gently in His hands, shaping it just right. He spends months working on it. No one can see it until He's done. People try to peek in through the windows, but they can't really see any detail. Every day for almost a year, He returns to His workshop and works on His project. Time slips away from Him as He sits on the stool, making small adjustments, forming and shaping each part.

Finally after 9 months has passed, He sits the creation down and says with a smile, "Perfect." He leans back on His stool, cocks His head to one side, breathes a little sigh and smiles. He has invested so much time into this little creature. You can see the love in His eyes as His gaze is fixed upon his newest creation. After a while, he takes a deep breath and stands up. Time to deliver this little one to his earthly caretaker.

God has been doing some research, long before He began work. Searching for the perfect person to entrust with His new creation. They would have to be special. Now the time has come. His delivery comes in the form of a baby.

As the new mother cradles the baby in her arms, His heart is filled to overflowing. He gets that warm feeling in His chest as He sees them bonding. As mommy learns to care for her new baby, God stands watching with His chin lifted, biting His bottom lip. There, she's got it. That's right. Hold him carefully, mommy. He's fragile.

As the baby grows, God delights in watching him take his first steps, learn to talk, throw baby food across the kitchen. The first day of school, God's heart breaks as the little one cries and trembles in fear. He so desperately wants to take the child into His arms and buffer Him from any hurt. But He knows the child must learn, so He watches lovingly. Come on, son. Trust me. Just go inside. I've picked out a wonderful teacher for you. I've even worked it out so you'll meet a friend that you will have for life. I know you're scared. Just trust me. I've already been there, preparing things for you.

Eventually the boy grows up to be a teenager. He's on the high school football team. As God watches the boy run up and down the field, He jumps to His feet, screaming, "That's my boy! Run, son, run! Yeah! You go, boy!" His heart races as it swells with love. He is so proud, and he carries a big smile on His face all the next day.

Over the years, He watches as the boy goes through good times and bad. As the boy gets older, he gets busier and less interested in spiritual things. God longs to talk to him. He longs to sit and dream with him. God knows what's on his heart, what excites him, what scares him. If only the little boy, who is now a man, would turn to Him. He waits, but day after day, the man never slows down long enough to get to know God. Sure, he prays from time to time. "God, give me this. God, help with this. God, I want this." But He doesn't spend much quality time with his Father.

God wants to bless Him. He wants the man to really know Him. There is so much He wants to teach Him, so much to show Him. God created Him with specific purposes in mind. He gave him certain talents to use, certain people only this man could reach. But the man just ignores God, going about his daily routine, only thinking to pray when he wants something.

God continues to watch the man, His beautiful creation. He thinks back to the workshop and all the time they spent together there. His heart is sad, but He keeps on watching the man, helping Him, trying to reach Him. He sends certain things into the man's day, hoping each one will make the man stop and notice God. But right now, the man is too busy to notice.



Right now, as you sit in front of your computer, God is gazing at you. He remembers the time you and He spent together as He formed you in your mother's womb. He remembers your first day of school and the last broken heart you had. He remembers the day you won the big game, and how excited you were on your 12th Christmas morning. He saw you when you fell off your bike and when you helped that old lady in the grocery store. You make Him grin. He laughs at you when you're funny. He hurts with you when you cry. He knows when you're scared, and He's already been ahead of you checking things out. He's there now, waiting to hear from you. He loves you so much. Why don't you go talk to Him for a while?