When God is Displaced, We are Displaced

In a world where God is regularly displaced, we can witness a living principle: the position we allocate for God becomes our own living position. A displaced God is a displaced self. And an enthroned God is a life that is consecrated and glorified.

Displaced: The Original Displacement

Adam and Eve chose to displace God and then they themselves were displaced from God. They chose to believe the slander of God, thinking He gave them the short end of the stick. What’s the believed lie? That God was withholding from them the very thing they needed, and that there was no consequence for their sin of trying to independently meet that need.

The serpent implied that God was abusing them, and then by deduction they made a conclusion—“God’s done me wrong.” Through this belief, they moved God out of His place in their lives. They would handle things, thank you, because God wasn’t being fair. They had a NEED to KNOW, and God wasn’t telling them. More, He was maliciously withholding the ANSWER to their need.

The Garden of Displacement

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:1-7 NLT

I’ve Displaced, You’ve Displaced, We’ve Displaced

I wish this didn’t sound familiar but it does. It’s not unique to any of us. All of us have believed that God has withheld from us something we needed. And then each of us has gone about seeking to meet that need on our own. It’s deeply personal, and rooted deep in our heart. Perhaps it is a desire for something more or possibly less. Whatever it is, it’s something different or assumed better than what God has currently given us. The only uniqueness to this is my individual circumstance, but at the core, we are all alike in this. The moment I seek to satisfy my own need, I displace God.

God is my Supplier and only He can supply what I need. To displace Him in this is to reject the flow of supply from Him. As Father, He continues to provide through grace but we cannot receive His all. This makes us endless vagabonds perpetually scrapping for more provision.

Does this message interest you? Then I highly recommend Martha’s Message of the Month, “The Mighty Jealousy of God.” Her message takes this point and brings us to its eternal purpose and glorious solution. I am floored by her message!