God’s work is visible, invisible, and somewhere in between
August 20, 2011
We just got back a few days ago from our first youth summer retreat with Risen Sun. All in all, it was grand. For sure, there were some unforeseeable setbacks (as with any retreat), but nonetheless it ran smoothly. But that is not the focus here. The focus is that I, along with many, went in anticipating a grand landing of God in our midst during the praise, message, and fellowship times in a way which would closely resemble an invisible alien craft landing. I guess one could say that I/we had sort of backed ourselves into a corner and made up our minds that this is what God was going to do. And yet this did not happen.
Instead of a grand invasion, it was more like God entered into our midst like a special ops team. It was barely visible, not easily discernable to all. This was at first, a little disappointing. Assuredly, if God were to arrive in a grand fashion, there would be so much good that would benefit, we all thought. But instead, God came in a whispering gentle voice and the effects were very small, barely visible. And yet we see in Scripture, that is exactly how the Lord Jesus came as a disarmingly small baby. When many expected the Christ to be a magnificent socio-economic power house, what they got was a humble son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
BUT that’s not all folks. As Christ’s life and death seemed so small and insignificant to many before the resurrection, so it is with what happened to our group at this retreat. What God did was not any less magnificent or grand just because we failed to see the magnitude of His quiet workings. No, God’s work may have been “small” or “barely visible” but it was indeed grand and as one student described it many times “mind blowing”. And so yes God invaded our youth group, and yet only a few are aware of its implications. Perhaps it is for the best because in working like this, the Lord has already gone past the students’ defenses and is already at work in them.
God doesn’t do useless work.
