The God of Our Imaginations

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. We say it, and we mean it. The question is, what is your definition of good? In our imaginations, God caters to our desires, destroys our perceived enemies, and does not allow us to feel any pain. This God removes all penalties for our wrong actions, sowing and reaping apply only monetarily. He passes out money like an ATM, and according to our desires, we receive from Him that for which we ask. We can decide what is right or wrong and, of course, He approves. Our imaginary God never says no to our prayers and never allows any trouble to come our way.

However, the true and living God is the embodiment of goodness, holiness, and righteousness. He sets the standard, and we must conform to His requirements. While we cannot manipulate Him, God does come to our rescue but not always in the way we expect. He answers our prayers with each soul, future, and eternity in mind. We are not the ones to decide how much we can bear. The living God who sees our brokenness finetunes our lives. He watches our growth and progress, then supplies sufficient grace to endure the challenges needed to transform us into what he wants us to be and do.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.