Readings: Psalm 75; 2 Samuel 5:22–6:11; Acts 17:16–34; Mark 8:1–10
Title: God Is God…and We Are Not
“It is God who judges.” — Psalm 75:7
Today’s readings remind me how easily I want God to fit my expectations instead of allowing Him to be God.
When the Philistines attack again, David does not assume yesterday’s victory guarantees today’s strategy. He pauses and asks God what to do. This time God tells him to wait until he hears the sound of marching in the tops of the trees before attacking from behind. David obeys, and Israel is victorious. Faith is not simply repeating yesterday’s success. It is listening for God’s voice today.
The next story is far more difficult. As the Ark of the Covenant is being moved, Uzzah reaches out to steady it, and he dies. David is shocked and angry. He leaves the ark where it is for three months before finally bringing it into Jerusalem.
Like David, I sometimes struggle with passages that disturb me. I do not pretend to understand every act of God recorded in Scripture. Yet these stories remind me that God is holy. We cannot reduce Him to our own standards or assume we always understand His ways. There is room in faith for honest questions, but there is also a call to humility.
In Athens, Paul meets philosophers who worship many gods, including one altar dedicated “To an Unknown God.” Rather than condemn them, Paul begins where they are. He tells them the God they do not know is the Creator who gives life to all and is nearer than they imagine. Some reject his message, but others believe. Paul teaches me that sharing the gospel begins with respect, conversation, and finding common ground.
Finally, Jesus feeds four thousand hungry people. He is moved by compassion before anyone asks for help. The miracle reveals that God’s judgment is never separated from God’s mercy. The One who is holy enough to command reverence is also loving enough to satisfy hungry people with bread.
These readings challenge me to hold together two truths that are easy to separate. God is infinitely holy, beyond my complete understanding. Yet that same God draws near in compassion, feeding the hungry, guiding the faithful, and inviting all people to know Him.
Perhaps the lesson for today is simple:
God is God, and I am not.
My calling is not to control Him or explain everything He does. My calling is to listen like David, speak with grace like Paul, trust His holiness even when I have questions, and share His compassion with those who are hungry in body and soul.
That is enough for today.
The Curious Pilgrim 
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