A holy experiment

Oswald Chambers famously posited in his classic devotional, My Utmost For His Highest: "If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you."

In the past I may have muttered under my breath, "Well I'm a failed experiment, that's for sure!" Except I've learned along the way that God doesn't depend on me. That's why I prefer to use the word 'project' to describe God's intentional actions towards each and every one of us.

I've been in search of a deeper understanding of this great love project over the years. I've studied the gospels and been humbled by the writings of Paul. I've traced the first glimmers of the project in the books of Genesis and Exodus. And along the way I've stumbled over this simple truth:

Love is a strange concept when you are not used to it.

God's pursuit of us is so often like an unexpected romance because most of us aren't used to love. He's hanging, bleeding on a cross out of everlasting compassion. And all we can do is scratch our heads and wonder what in the world he could possibly like about us.

"Are you sure you won't change your mind, God?"

But the only uncertain element of this great project is our own choice.