Experiencing God's Presence #107

Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.

Jeremiah 18:2

“Are you sure it’s okay to eat this? Do you promise?” the boy asked his mother. His allergies provoked anxiety at the sight of any new food, so he felt compelled to ask if it was safe—again and again and again. Just to be sure. So she answered—again. “I’ve already told you once. Saying it again won’t make it any more true.” And listening to this exchange, I immediately heard God’s voice: “You keep asking me to confirm My promise to you. But I’ve already spoken. Saying it again won’t make it any more true.”

God gives us parables like that—a conversation, a turn of events, a scene from nature or everyday life—that remind us of His ways, His words, or His purposes. These parables reinforce what we know to be true from His Word, but they sink deeper into our hearts in a way that words on a printed page rarely do. They paint portraits of the Kingdom and the King. In our lives, as in Scripture, God’s favorite language is pictures.

Pay attention to the parables in your life. This is how God often spoke to biblical prophets, it’s how Jesus taught, and it’s how God continues to teach us from Scripture. The metaphors of the Red Sea and Goliath and the mustard seed speak loudly, and this picturesque language of God continues to show us truth in our everyday lives. Just as the skies pour forth speech incessantly (Psalm 19:1-2), so God continuously uses His creation, people, and events to share the thoughts of His heart. If we notice, images begin to unfold all around us. And God shows up in dramatic ways—literally.

Lord, open my eyes, open my ears, and help me understand Your language. Make me a noticer of Your pictures. Let me see Your thoughts and understand Your heart.

From the book