Because I Said So

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God

and the Word was God. John 1:1

Are you a parent? Teacher? Boss? Have you for any reason ever used the expression, “because I said so”? It's a cop out line sometimes. I'm out of good reasons, patience, time or whatever else so I go with “because I said so!” – usually in a fairly loud voice. Spoken that way “because I said so” doesn't sound very inviting.

Let's turn it over. My child comes to me frightened or worried and I promise that things will work out. Unfortunately I can't tell her why in that moment, so I say, “I promise you.” And when she questions me, I add, “because I said so.” There's nothing to worry about because I said so. If my child can trust me, she can trust my word. Used this way, it's an assurance not a way out.

Now, let's look at what happened when God “said so,”

  • there was light Genesis 1:3
  • there was sky Genesis 1:6
  • there was land Genesis 1:10
  • there was man Genesis 1:26
  • a child was healed John 4:50
  • a man rose from the dead Matthew 28:1-10

And that is just a partial list, very partial. The world, the sky, the waters, animals, vegetation, people, healing and resurrection happened. Why? Because God said so.

Words are incredibly powerful. I use them in much to cavalier a fashion. Maybe you do too. I'm working on that right now but it's an ongoing battle for me and I'm counting on God's help to win. Even at my worst, I've always believed that a promise is a promise and have done my very best to keep my promises. My children grew very tired of the words, “we'll see” when they were young. They wanted that promise but I didn't give them unless I was pretty sure I could keep them. After all you're only as good as your word.

So we're back to because I said so. “You're going to school, because I said so.” “No we are not playing outside in the rain, because I said so.” “As long as I have a home you'll have a home, because I said so.”

Which brings us back to God's because I said so. We're never alone. We don't have to worry. We will never be orphaned. We do not have to be afraid. We will be victorious. We have a home waiting for us that is beyond anything we could ask or imagine. Why? Because He said so.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Applause, Applause and Protection

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1 Reading some Scripture this morning I was reminded of a message that I watched from Louie Giglio. In it Louie described a child of God leaving her home for the day. He goes on about how the heavenly beings see it. With great excitement, he tells of the joy and applause going on in heaven as the woman gets in the elevator, gets to the parking lot and gets in her car. It’s hilarious and over the top, (remember I did say it was Louie Giglio!) but there’s a great lesson in it. My husband and I were watching a TV show about a fictional former president. At one point the poor man is just over the Secret Service detail. He’s tired of them following him around so he fires them. It takes less than five minutes for him to start to see all that they’ve been doing for...
Read more

My Father Saw That

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me, “for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13 There’s a movie from several years ago that I absolutely love! It’s called “The American President.” The premise is that the president, who is a widower, has begun to date. He’s dating a lovely woman while running for reelection. His opponent is awful. He knows he doesn’t have much of a chance against the popular incumbent so he tries to make a mountain out of the molehill of the standing president’s romance. At one point there is a news clip that shows the woman in a protest during her college days. After the clip plays the opponent refers to the president’s lady friend as “the president’s whore.” She groans and says to the president “My father saw that!” She is devastated, not because what is being said is true but because her father, who she loves and respects, saw the clip and heard those words spoken about her. I thought of ...
Read more

Not Really god, where are you?

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning to noon.”Baal answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said, “Surely he is a god! Perhaps his is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 1 Kings 18:26b-27 Those who know me would be quick to tell you that I am a bit sarcastic. It’s a quality that I have passed on to my children and even some of my grandchildren. Some days I feel a little guilty. Is that really a quality that God wants to see in me? Certainly that cannot be my go to attitude but there are times that it comes in quite nicely. This morning, reading a totally unrelated verse, I was reminded of this account in the first book of Kings. (It begins at verse 16 and continues to the end of the chapter. I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t and it if you have reread it. It’s great!) In this p...
Read more