Is God our genie?
- Jacob Ninan
When Jacob in the Old Testament had an experience with God, he tried to make a deal with Him. Jacob told God that if He took care of Him and provided for all his needs, then God would be his God! (Ge.28:20,21). Isn't this the way many people treat God?
We would like to live our own lives, do whatever we like, and enjoy ourselves in every way, and we want God to take care of us. He should come and clean up the mess after us, go in front of us and shield us from things that could hurt us, bail us out when we get into problems, and run here and there getting whatever we ask for. Then we shall like Him, and maybe accept Him.
But if He doesn't answer some of our prayers or lets us get into some difficulties then we don't like Him. Then He has to win our favour again through some special blessing!
Are we treating God as if He is a genie who has to appear whenever we rub a ring or lamp? Do we expect Him to run around at our command doing whatever we want? Then we have got it all wrong, all upside down.
God is the One who created us, and in that way He owns us. When we went away from Him and became children of the devil (Jn.8:24), He is the One who gave Himself (through His Son Jesus) to save us from the hold of sin and its punishment, and purchased us from back Satan's hands. He is now our Owner by both rights. We are now His bondslaves apart from being His children (1Pe.2:16).
Now we, as slaves we ought to be standing at God's beck and call, asking Him, "What do You want me to do, Lord?"