O God Where Are You Now (In Iraq?, In A Birth?, In Suffering?...etc)

There is a fantastic song out there right now. It is called "O God Where Are You Now? (In pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)" done by the David Crowder Band. The song is actually a cover of a Sufjan Stevens song which is equally as excellent. This stringing together of musical genius is currently heavy in my rotation.

I used the song title as the blog title not because I am questioning my faith, but because of what God has been teaching me as of late. I am constantly engaging and wrapping myself around the idea that God can and is glorified in everything.

I was recently awarded the opportunity to bear witness to this on a recent mission. As the morning kicked off, there it was, a plethora of color vomited onto the horizon rising into the sky. An Iraqi sunrise. As I stood there amazed at the beauty of the whole scene being played out in front of me, a funny thought hit me. I am living in one of the most beautiful countries there is. The land is not just barren sand dunes. I am living near the Euphrates River and because of that there is green landscape scattered here and there. This greenery is spotty and mixes in nicely with the vastness of the wilderness surrounding it. This is a place where you can look to the horizon and seeing it spreading out forever. It was there in that turret, as I was cruising down that road, God's handiwork was on display for all to see. It was like when you walk into a great gothic cathedral. The overwhelmingness *how about that word* of the greatness of the cathedral was done for a purpose. It was done to cause one to wonder. To look up. It was done to give an invitation for the depraved to collide with the Divine. This is where I found myself on this morning. Getting lost in the expanse of the portrait laid before me.

The most amazing part of it all is that God did this all for Himself. To bring glory to Him. He didn't do it for me. He created this palette of visual extravagance for Himself so that I could see it, be wowed by it, be humbled by it, and then press in closer to God because of it. God is unashamedly about Himself. God is about the self glorification of God. He is ultimate.

So when I read the song title "O God Where Are You Now? (In pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)", it causes me to look at situations and see that God is being glorified in it no matter the situation. I am being taught to pause, think, and look to see how God is working in situations. Whether the situation is being diagnosed with cancer or watching an Iraqi sunrise. Going through your first child being born or having to deal with a friend going through sexual addiction.

The ultimate end is God receiving the glory. For us to realize it is not all about us, and then meet God in His story. To enjoy God and glorify him forever in everything you do. Also, get up early and check out the next sunrise. You won't be disappointed.