How Big Is God?

PHOTO CAPTION: God is BIG enough to help us fulfill that to which He has called us. (Me with the banner for my book.)

I know God is big. I’ve read the stories in the Bible of how He helped the children of Israel in numerous ways. He led Abraham to a new land, gave Joseph wisdom, called a reluctant Moses to lead and persuaded Pharaoh to let the Israelite slaves go. He parted waters, defeated armies, and so much more. In the New Testament, Jesus healed the blind, lame, demon possessed and raised the dead. I know God is big and you probably do too, but the question still arises, “How big is God to me?”

There are so many instances where I have prayed and wondered, “Why should God answer my prayer? I’m not Joseph or Moses or Paul or anyone great. I’m just me.”

But then God says, “Yes, and I use ordinary people. I delight in helping my children.” It’s not about how great, how gifted, talented or capable I am. Really answers to prayer and walking with God is not about me at all, rather it’s about the greatness of my God.

Then there are situations where I have prayed and prayed and prayed about something yet have not yet seen the answer. Now maybe it’s my perspective that’s off. I know God’s answers do not always come the exact way I envision they will. Hindsight helps and when I look back at my life and the situations I have faced, I often see how He answered time and time again, but yet at the time I was going through the challenges I didn’t see it. I didn’t see it because I was looking for a specific answer and God answered in a different way. Looking back I see that He has always been faithful to me, faithful to give me strength, to walk with me through every challenge I have faced and He has never once given up on me.

Recently, I’ve been faced with more challenges and again I’ve found myself wondering, “How big is God? Will He do something miraculous and unexpected for me? He has done so much for me in the past.” I don’t know yet, how He will answer my prayers or why it seems that some of my prayers are still on hold. Maybe I am not quite ready for the answers yet. I don’t know, I only know that I have been challenged to stop asking, “How big is God?” What I need to do is trust Him to be who He says He is. God is big! He can do anything and nothing is impossible with Him.

My question now is, “How big will I allow God to be in my life? Will I continue to persevere in prayer even when the answers are long in coming? Will I say, yes to God every time He asks me to do something or will I shy away from what He is asking because I don’t feel adequate? Do I truly believe that God can do the miraculous for me?” Yes, I do believe. I will keep praying and I will say yes to God because my God is BIG! He can do the impossible.

PARENT PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you again for reminding me that you are BIG! Like Moses, I often feel inadequate, slow of speech and unimportant. I feel irrelevant and I wonder what you could possibly want from me. Then I remember that you are a big God. What you truly want from me is to be willing to say yes to your plan. Teach me to say yes quickly when you ask me to do something. Reveal your will to me and help me to see those out there who need someone to come alongside them and lead them or at least help them on their way. They may be stuck in bondage or simply have lost their way. They may be sick, depressed, tired or lonely, but you are a big God. Let me never forget that you do answer prayer and may I never become weary of praying for my family and others. I find myself so easily slipping into automatic mode, working, taking care of daily tasks, spending time with family, teaching, trying to be there for others, but yet on automatic. Day in and day out seems to pass by much the same. I send up quickie prayers and wonder where to go from here. Yet you are the God of miracles. You are the God who sent the plagues to convince Pharaoh to release Israel, you are the one who parted the Red Sea and you are the one who has healed me, called me, redeemed me and led me to write, to believe that you have a purpose and plan for me and to believe that you will continue to redeem, heal and part the waters when there is nowhere to go but forward. Lord, I want to be someone who believes that you are not only a big God, but that you are my big God. May I never give up praying and encouraging others in their walk with you. May I never give up praying for those in my family and friends who desperately need to know that you can be their big God too. Amen

MY BIG GOD
This week I wanted to share with you some things that my BIG God has done in my own life.

• When I was just a small child – age 3 or 4 I think – I lived on a farm and the bull got our of our pasture. We lived on a very busy highway which means the bull could easily veer into the highway in front of a car.. My mom and I were going to town when we noticed that the bull was out. My mom, parked the car at the end of our driveway, got out, opened the pasture gate, got back in the car and simply prayed, “In the name of Jesus, bull, get back in that pasture.” The bull did. He turned around and walked right back into the pasture.
  
  • When one of our granddaughters was born, she wasn’t thriving. The doctors tested her and thought she had a condition which would not allow her to assimilate food. They were not sure she would live, but our family and our churches interceded for her and when they redid the test, she was fine. She started gaining weight and thriving because God answers prayer.
    
  • My brother was born with a hole in his heart that the doctor said would probably require surgery when he was older. When he was about 3, we brought him over to Children’s Hospital in Seattle. When my dad and mom were taking him from the hospital, I started singing, “Only believe, only believe, all things are possible, only believe.” My brother’s condition improved and he didn’t require surgery.
    
  • God led me to write a children’s book and led me through a difficult and long process. He didn’t let me give up.
    
    • He gave me a song when going through a very difficult time many years ago when I underwent surgery. I felt so alone and so messed up during this time, but He reminded me over and over again that He was my redeemer. The song that was on continual play through my brain at that time was , “I Know My Redeemer Lives”.
      
      • He has helped me in so many, many ways – when my car was acting up majorly on the freeway and I didn’t have my cellphone, when we had bills to pay and didn’t know where the money would come from, when I’ve felt overwhelmed by my workload and when I’ve need wisdom. Yes, my God is BIG!

Kid’s Section

STORY: God Is Powerful – Exodus 7-12

REVIEW: God was with Moses and his family when he was a baby. He talked to Moses from a burning bush because He had an important job for Moses to do. God wanted Moses to lead His people to a new land. God told Moses that He would go with him and help him. Let’s see how God helped Moses this week.

STORY: God’s people lived in Egypt. They were slaves, which means they had to work really hard. (Pound fists together for working.) They had to make lots and lots of bricks. God loved His people. (Give self a hug.) He saw how hard they had to work. (Pound fists together again.) He wanted to help them so He sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh. (A Pharaoh is like a king.)

They said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go.” (Say ‘Let my people go!’ together.) And Pharaoh said, “No! I won’t let the people go!” (Say, “No, no, no!” together.) So God caused the water to turn to red. (Show red water.) Yuk! No one could drink it.

Again Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said, (Say together, “Let my people go!”) Again Pharaoh said, “No! I won’t let the people go!” (Everyone say, “No, no, no!”) This time God sent frogs. There were frogs everywhere. (Show frog picture. Hop and say, “Ribbit! Ribbit!”) There were even frogs in their beds! Every time Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh, Pharaoh always said, (Say together ”No! No! No! I won’t let the people go!”) But that didn’t stop God! No way! God can do anything!

God did many amazing things so that Pharaoh would change his mind. God sent flies, the Egyptian animals got sick, and the Egyptians got painful sores on their bodies. (Put red dots on your body.) There was hail, locusts/bugs and darkness. (Close your eyes.) Still Pharaoh said, (Say together, “No! I won’t let the people go!”) Each time God sent bad things to Egypt, He protected His people because God is powerful and He can do anything!

God did many amazing things to help his people. Finally, Pharaoh said, “Go!” (Say, “Go! Go! Go!“) God was with Moses. He helped him lead the people out of Egypt. God was with His people. He is powerful! God did amazing things for His people because He loved them and God can do anything!

God loves you and wants to help you too just like He helped Moses and His people. God is stronger and more powerful than anyone or anything! He is with you everyday. Best of all, He really loves you. He can help you no matter what you need, because God can do anything!

MEMORIZE:
Psalm. 59:17 ERV – (Hands open as though holding a book.)
You are – (Clap hands.)
The God – (Point upwards.)
Who loves me – (Give self a hug.)

KNOW: God is powerful. He does amazing things.
TALK ABOUT: Amazing things God has done in your family.
ASK: Who loves you? God loves me. Who is with you? God is with me.
AND DO… I can be strong and brave because God is with me.

FUN IDEAS FOR THIS WEEK

• Ask your child to show you how strong he or she is. Talk about things that are strong – super heroes, lions, bears, weight-lifters, trucks, football players, dads, moms, etc.  God is stronger than anything we can imagine!
  Say, “Thank you!” to God for the good things He has done.
  
  PRAYER:
  Dear God,
  I know you are powerful and do amazing things. I welcome you to be with me everyday and help me to be brave and strong. Amen