God Is a Verb

When you’re in the midst of or still healing from a traumatic event (like divorce), you need some things — someone— you can count on. You need to know that in a world that has gone crazy, there is One who is never out of control, never nuts, never confused. You need to know that God is there, not just for the world, but for you! You need to know that he’s continually working on your behalf, and he never changes.

“Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.” (James 1:17, Holman Christian Standard Bible, emphasis mine)

I don’t know how many of you have read The Shack by William Young, but it is a spectacular book for anyone who has ever experienced tragedy and wondered where God was in the midst of it. This is a novel (not a theological study) that paints a beautiful portrait of the ways that God—father, son, and Holy Spirit—is “particularly fond” of each of us as individuals. The Shack is an inspiring parable about God’s grace and mercy and his promise never to abandon us, even when we might feel completely alone.

Last fall, I plowed through the book in about three days because I just had to know what happened. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to reread it at a more leisurely pace so that I could really enjoy all of the nuances of the story.

As I was reading night before last, I came across a chapter that starts with the quote “God is a Verb.” In this chapter, the Holy Spirit explains to Mack (the main character whose daughter tragically disappeared three years earlier) that while religion is about rules and laws and institutions, God is about relationship. God is a verb. As the two talk, the Holy Spirit explains to Mack:

“I am a verb. I am that I am. I will be who I will be. I am a verb! I am alive, dynamic, ever active, and moving. I am a being verb…And as my very essence is a verb,” [the Holy Spirit] continued, “I am more attuned to verbs than nouns. Verbs such as confessing, repenting, living, loving, responding, growing, reaping, changing, sowing, running, dancing, singing, and on and on. Humans on the other hand, have a knack for taking a verb that is alive and full of grace and turning it into a dead noun or principle that reeks of rules: something growing and alive that dies. Nouns exist because there is a created universe and physical reality, but if the universe is only a mass of nouns, it is dead. Unless ‘I am,’ there are no verbs, and verbs are what makes the universe alive.” (p. 204, The Shack, William P. Young, ©2007, emphasis mine)

I know that seems a little out there, but isn’t it intriguing too? God is limitless—in power, love, knowledge, presence—he is limitless. He is all that we need in every situation.

Think about Moses. Here’s a quick summary of his life before leading the Israelites out of Egypt and slavery. He was born to a Jewish mom but raised by the Pharaoh’s daughter, only to lose his royal standing after flipping out and killing an Egyptian who was beating a Jewish man. Fleeing for his life, Moses ended up working as a shepherd in Midian…until the day he came across the burning bush from which the God started speaking to him. (Try explaining that one to the family!)

It turns out that God had a special assignment planned for Moses that was going to require God’s power but Moses’ willingness to act as a spokesperson. The job: Go to the Pharaoh and tell him to let God’s people go.

Did I mention Moses had a speech impediment (see Ex. 4:10)? He was a killer on the run now working as a shepherd. Don’t you love how God doesn’t let the way we label people—especially ourselves—keep him from accomplishing great things through us? Anyway, this is where we pick up the text:

“But Moses asked God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’

He answered, ‘I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.’

Then Moses asked God, ‘If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, “What is His name?” what should I tell them?’

God replied to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.’” (Exodus 3:11–15, Holman Christian Standard Bible, emphasis mine)

God’s very identity is action. It’s a verb. What action do you need God to take in your life? Do you need him to save, heal, restore, protect, provide, inspire, empower, inform, guide, give, or deliver? No matter what it is that you need from God today, pray and ask him for it. More than anything, he wants a real, day-in-day-out, down in the messy details of life relationship with you. He wanted this so much that he acted on it.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (New International Version, emphasis mine)

He’s not waiting for you to be perfect. He is just waiting for you to ask. God is love. And he is a Verb.