Gravity & God

Gravity

Happy Fathers Day.

There are certain forces at work in a marriage, in a family that make things work better.

1 of those is gravity.

I am no physicist, not a scientist. I am just a pastor of church in MP who’s been married for almost 38 years, trying to stay healthy and avoid any unnecessary trouble.

I have a love/hate relationship w/ gravity.

Isaac Newton discovered and developed 3 laws of gravity. My high school physics teacher would be embarrassed by my lack of understanding of them in the physical world. But I can tell you how they work in my house.

Law #1. An object will not change its motion unless a force is acted on it.

I’m not getting up out of the sofa unless Sara forces me to.

Law #2. Force equals mass times acceleration.

The faster Sara’s mass is accelerating toward me, it’s forcing me to get up faster.

Law #3. When 2 objects interact, they apply forces to each other in equal magnitude in opposite directions.

Do I need to explain that? Except to say that the magnitude is rarely equal in my house. Sara is much more magnatudinal.

On a practical level, if you understand and apply these laws accurately they will improve your marriage.

Gravity is at work in ways we cannot see. Just b/c you can’t see it, certainly does not mean it’s not real and working.

Understanding how it works helps us avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.

You can argue w/ the laws of gravity, but you will lose 100% of the time. It’s much better to accept them and adapt to them.

Fundamentally, gravity is good. It keeps our feet on the ground, literally.

B/C the earth spins on its axis, it creates a gravitational pull toward the center of the earth, keeping us on the ground.

If the earth stopped spinning, we’d float off into space. We’d all be dead.

When that apple fell on Newton’s head, it illustrated the very practical good and bad, love and hate of gravity that he developed into his 3 laws.

The bad? Every time you step on the scales and that dial spins and spins and spins, where it stops, nobody knows. B/C we get off before it can give us the bad news.

There’s less gravity on the moon. So, if we lived on the moon we’d weigh less.

I think there are a couple of private companies selling tickets to the moon. About a quarter million.

What’s weighing less worth to you?

How many men have experienced the bad side of gravity when they misstepped off a ladder?

On friend recently missed the bottom step and ended up w/ a compound fracture of his forearm and nerve damage.

Surgery, no gold or guitar for 6 weeks.

3 other friends that I know of who fell out of trees while trimming branches and ended up having to have their shoulders and upper arms rebuilt.

Some of us know, too, that you don’t need to leave the ground to experience the bad effects of gravity.

My FIL, 89, some balance issues. recently missed a step on the ground, fell backwards and knocked himself out. Cold.

The concussion symptoms were severe for a couple of weeks. He’s better now. But Sara and her brother had a tough go of it a few weeks ago taking care of him.

He doesn’t remember any of it.

You can argue w/ the laws of gravity all you want to, you will lose.

We can’t see it. We can sort of feel it. And, we can see its effects.

But we can be certain its at work doing what it does even if we can’t see it as it is.

Gravity is like God. God is always at work in ways we can’t see. You can argue w/ Him. You’ll lose.

For those who want to argue that God does not exist, imagine that moment after they leave this life and are standing in front of the God they didn’t believe in while they were here.

And, there’s Jesus. Scarred hands and feet, ready to defend those who did believe and received his punishment as their own.

You can argue that adultery won’t wreck your marriage. Or, stealing your neighbors stuff won’t wreck your friendship.

Those are 2 of the big 10.

You can argue that you can make your job, you stuff, or your family more important than God. But they won’t satisfy you the way you think they will. Only God can do that.

Marriages are much more likely to survive till death do us part when each one is more concerned about pleasing God than pleasing than their spouse or themselves.

Arguing these points would be about the same as jumping off your roof arguing w/ gravity that it won’t hurt when you land.

Remember, the fall doesn’t hurt at all. It’s the landing.

You won’t feel gravity on the way down. You’ll feel something laying on the ground that is the effect of gravity.

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Confidence what we hope for most about the future will come to be regardless of how things are going now.

And the assurance that is at work in good ways even though we can’t see it now.

We cannot assume that b/c we can’t see it, it’s not real nor is it at work. If we do, that’s pride. Assuming we see everything there is to see implies there is nothing else happening in a different realm.

God is at work, doing good things for us, even though we can’t see it, until we get the effects of it.

This is the message of 2 Kings 6.

Israel is headed for horrible place. The prevailing thought was God had abandoned them.

Reality, they abandoned God for Baal. They tried to argue that Baal was as real and good as God. They lost.

For the faithful, the challenge was to be confident in what they hoped for and assured of what they couldn’t see.

God gave them glimpse to encourage their faith.

Defying Physics

2 Kings 6:4–6 NIV

And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!” The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.

The situ was, the company of prophets was growing and they needed a bigger building. So, they headed out to collect the lumber to build it.

They’re out chopping wood by the river and the axehead flies off the handle and into the dirty water.

It seems like maybe this is a small thing. Axeheads were expensive and prophets didn’t have much money. That’s why he borrowed it. He couldn’t afford to buy one.

A number of years ago I loaned my leaf blower to a friend. We lived in a place w/ trees that drop leaves. It doubled as a leaf-sucker.

The leaves would be vacuumed up a tube, thru a plastic fan that chopped them up and into a canvas bag.

Sometimes you’d suck up a stick or acorn.

My friend, did that, and it broke the plastic blades of the fan. It didn’t work any more. He felt awful, embarrassed.

They couldn’t afford to replace it. If he could afford one, he would have bought one.

I tried to reassure him it was okay. What few tools I have, I loan them out knowing they might get broken or lost. It’s okay. You don’t have to replace it if that happens.

It’s not like Russian roulette. I loan everything out hoping it breaks in your hand so you have to buy me a new one.

It ended up hurting our friendship even though I tried not to let it.

That’s this prophet. He borrowed the axe. Lost the head. He feels awful and wants to do the responsible thing, but can’t.

So, God does His thing thru Elisha. He threw a stick in the river where the axehead went in and immediately the iron axehead floated to the surface.

There was nothing powerful about the stick.

The water was moving, it’s a river.

The kids at VBS did an experiment about what would sink thru water, vegetable oil, or ???.

Trust me, an iron axehead will sink thru all of it.

But it floated to surface and sat there until he could retrieve it.

They could have unearthed buried treasure. God could have moved in the heart of the lender to let it go. But he didn’t do either of those things.

They could have confused them w/ some human effort.

God did the miraculous thing to let the faithful know that He was still involved in their lives in ways that would provide for them in hard times.

He showed them He was involved in big ways they couldn’t see by doing something small they could see.

God cares about the little things in our lives that may cause financial hardships and is at work helping us w/ them.

As small as it was to float the iron axehead, the next thing he showed them huge.

There is so much more going on around us that we cannot see.

Who Saw That Coming?

2 Kings 6:8–10 NIV

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.” The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

Just like God saved the prophet from a significant financial loss, He saved the lives of the king and his army.

This happened more than once.

God spoke to Elisha who spoke to the king to avoid the place where the Arameans had set up an ambush.

Each time the king of Israel sent out spies to check the intelligence out and it proved to be accurate.

There was not big extraordinary flashes of lightening or peals of thunder. God quietly, miraculously told Elisha where the Arameans were hiding b/c He was protecting His own.

Even though their faith was waning, nothing was going to happen to Israel until God wanted something to happen to Israel.

No king of Aram could change God’s plan for Israel.

But for the king of Aram, he didn’t believe in God. He believed in Baal, who isn’t real, but that didn’t stop his worship.

And if you don’t believe in God, then you don’t believe He’s doing it, so you have to come up w/ a human explanation.

It’ll be wrong. But that’s what you have to try to do.

Argue with That

2 Kings 6:11–14 NIV

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

Obviously, there’s a spy in the ranks.

B/C there is no God (tongue in cheek), the only other plausible explanation is a spy.

Not believing in God or His power and ability this is all your left w/.

Arrogance on top of arrogance.

This is my issue w/ climate change.

We have to do a better job w/ our carbon gas emissions and plastic throw aways.

But, any attempt to affect change in our climate that leaves God out of the the equations is sorely lacking.

All the human effort in the world cannot affect the desired changes if God is using the climate to get our attention in order to bring us back to a faithful relationship w/ Him.

If our only explanation is a human explanation any solution we come up w/ won’t work.

The king of Aram came up w/ a solution based on a human explanation and its absurdity is laughable.

Step back see what he is did here.

God revealed to Elisha where the Aramean army was hidden planning an ambush of the Israeli army.

The king does not recognize God, but sees Elisha as the problem.

His plan is a sneak attack on the city where Elisha lives.

If God told Elisha where one ambushes were about to occur, what are his chances of a sneak attack on Elisha being successful?

How many times are you going to beat your head against that wall arguing that God doesn’t exist and isn’t behind the intelligence?

The still thinks he can catch Elisha by surprise and kill him.

Obviously, they need a different strategy. A lack of faith in God makes ppl look stupid. Which, compared to God, we are.

Fortunately God is more patient w/ our stupidity than we are w/ each other.

The kings actions were laughable. But before we laugh too hard, think about your own actions that don’t take into account what God is doing in and around you that you can’t see.

Elisha’s servant was scared to death when he reacted to the Aramean army surrounding them.

Our anxiety can overwhelm us when we think everything is out of control, even out of God’s control.

In reality, we’re only realizing how little control we have. But, if we could see what God was doing around us, we’d relax.

Elisha pulled back the curtain so he could see something that was there all along but he needed the faith to be okay about it.

Help on the Horizon

2 Kings 6:15–17 NIV

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

We get into these spiritual ruts where we believe that if we can’t see it must not be happening.

If I see it, it’s true. If I don’t, it’s not.

That puts us on par w/ God. There is nothing He doesn’t see. Everything happens under His watchful eye.

You thought your mom had eyes in the back of her head. Our kids sure do. What they don’t know is we have help. We’re all watching out for each others kids and won’t hesitate to tattle on them.

God doesn’t need help. We do.

And it’s there. All the time.

Our anxiety grows when don’t believe God is at work in ways we can’t see. It happened to Elisha’s servant.

Luke 12:25 NIV

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

Luke 12:28 NIV

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!

This is where Jesus challenges more mature believers to cultivate a deeper and bigger faith.

Just a little faith in a big God will save you.

But a big faith in a big God will serve you when you’re facing tough situations.

How does God make our faith grow? By taking us to the gym and working our our faith muscles. He stretches us in tough situations where we learn God is strong enough to do the heavy lifting. So, all we have to do have faith in Him that He is even though we can’t see it.

Elisha showed his servant that the hills were filled w/ superior horses, chariots, and charioteers. More of them than Arameans.

It was no match. Like a little league team taking on Diamond backs. Okay, maybe the Padres. It would be a slaughter.

God was still every much in control even though it seemed like the Arameans had the upper hand.

If there was still work for Elisha to do then there is no way God was going to let him die.

God delivered the Arameans into the hands of the Israelite’s that day. What God did peacefully, it would have required a bloody battle for the army to accomplish.

When God works on our behalf, what would otherwise be a bloodbath, God will do peacefully for you and in you.

God is the best defense we have against the the forces that bring trouble into our lives. To walk away from Him b/c you can’t see what He is doing is the worst kind of foolishness, or stupidity.

We know better.

The laws of gravity are in effect 100% of the time. And God is more reliable than gravity.

If you’re in a situation where you think has abandoned you, not at work, leaving you to fend for yourself; then go jump off your roof and see what happens.

No, don’t do that.

You may not see gravity, but you will feel its affects. You may not see God at work, but you feel the affect of His work in your life.

Applications

Your axehead

Has your axehead sunk?

God has a creative solution for your problem. Don’t limit where you look.

Be open-minded for the solution God will bring you.

Iron axeheads don’t float. This one did b/c it was God’s solution to their problem.

Sometimes God defies the laws of physics. But, He invented them. So He alone can alter them.

Be open to the possibility and see what God can do.

Work to do?

If you still have work to do then God’s not going to let you go anywhere.

Don’t worry about when you’re going to die. When your work is done, so will your days.

In the meantime, enjoy every minute you live here. Worry doesn’t add any days to your life. It takes life out of the days you have.

Don’t worry. Get busy.

Gravity

God is more reliable than gravity.

You can’t see it nor can you see all the work God is doing around you.

You will sense the affect of the work after it’s done.

Faith is the assurance, certainty, no doubt about it, that God is at work right now in good ways that you cannot see.

It takes faith to accept that truth.

It does not good to argue with your bathroom scales.

It does not good to argue with gravity as you fall to the ground.

You will feel the affects of the certainty of gravity.

Your surgeon may be called on to help fix the affects.

I’m not moving off my sofa unless I’m forced.

When Sara’s mass is accelerating toward me, I’m moving faster.

Sometimes Sara and I find ourselves moving in different directions but the magnitude is not always equal.

I don’t argue w/ my wife, I’ll lose.

Don’t argue w/ gravity, you’ll lose.

Don’t argue w/ God that you think He’s not at work when He is. Don’t try to take over and leave him out of the equation.

Whatever solution you try will be woefully inadequate.

God is at work, doing good things for us, even though we can’t see it, until we get the effects of it.