An Unconventional God

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. ~Psalm 118:22-23

According to thefreedictionary.com, to be "conventional" means to be:

based on or in accordance with general agreement, use, or practice; customary: conventional symbols; a conventional form of address.
2. Conforming to established practice or accepted standards; traditional: a conventional church wedding.
3.
a. Devoted to or bound by conventions to the point of artificiality; ceremonious.
b. Unimaginative; conformist

God is nothing like this. We serve a very unconventional God. He doesn't use conventional methods or do things according to the ways men would do them. As a matter of fact, He often tends to do them not just differently, but very differently.

There could be many reason why, one being to teach us to walk by faith, not by sight, because earthly vision alone is often misleading, being only a small piece of the real picture.

Perhaps another reason is to teach us that we have no right in deciding whom God may use, nor where He may use them. Saul, a Jew and murderer of Christians was called to reach the Gentiles. What earthly man would have ever given him that assignment?! Most people would have thrown him in the slammer and left him there. Or stoned him to death. They definitely wouldn't have invited him to come minister to them!(For more on this refer to the blogs "Amazing Grace" and "The People God Writes About")

God created each us with a destiny. Yet another reason God may use unconventional ways may be to teach us to, as the song goes "Let Go & Let God" work it out. This goes back to the concept of "walking by faith, not by sight", but, whereas that concept is merely a concept of "trusting" God, this delves deeper, to the extent of trusting Him enough to not try to create your destiny, no matter how certain you may be of it, but rather to maintain a hands off approach, unless God leads otherwise, and trust Him to open the right doors as they need to be opened.

Psalms 118:22-23 is a prophesy of Jesus Christ and how He would first be rejected, and glorified. Rejected, then glorified! Our own Savior! Not only that, but vs. 23 reveals that this would be "marvelous in our eyes" that He would bother to go through so much to save us. (Marvelous: evoking surprise, admiration, or wonder; astonishing).  This is how God likes to work. I believe He enjoys watching his children marvel!

So what if you were told this about your life? (Rejection then promotion) Would you still be willing to "stick with the program"?

What if someone you knew was a carpenter, fisherman, tax collector, liar, adulterer, murderer, etc? Would you believe God could call or change them in an instant and save, not just individuals, but whole nations through them? Yea, even the world?

What if God showed you specifics of your destiny, would you have enough long suffering (Remember, it IS a fruit of the Spirit) to wait it out, not trying to create your own path? Perhaps sometimes simply doing your best not to make more messes for God to fix?

Yes, we serve an unconventional God. God's thoughts are not our thoughts nor are our ways His ways.

I have been reading quite a few books written by Sis. Freeman lately. Man would never have thought to choose a young man & woman from small town Lousiana/Arkansas to reach a large portion of the continent of Africa. But God did. He ordained it! What about a man from the hills of West Virginia to be an apostle to Thailand? Yep, God again. A dear couple from Wisconsin/ Tennessee to reach the country of Singapore? A God thing. No doubt I could go on forever with this list, but I hope I have already made the point....

Don't put limits on God.
Don't put limits on God's people.

God can do anything through His people, because they are HIS people.

We serve a God who specializes in using unconventional methods to reach a conventional thinking world.

My conclusion as to why He does this?
To make sure when all is said and done that we remember who's in control and to whom all the glory truly belongs!

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. ~1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Call me foolish. Call me weak. Call me lowly.

Under the umbrella of a loving, unconventional God, I call that sweet music to my ears.