God, The Ultimate Other
To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?… Do you not know? Have you not heard?… He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:18, 21-22).
God is different from you and me. He is really the Other in your life and mine. There is a sense in which other people are not truly other, because we are all remarkably similar. It is our similarity that enables us to know and understand one another. I am either where you are or where you have been or where you will be. Our lives are intertwined in many ways. But when we approach God, we find the One we can truly call Other. He is completely different from us; the uncreated One, beyond our reality; the One whom we cannot trap in our life or our world. He transcends it all.
In this sense he is ultimately the One you and I have to face. I can run away from you, and it is possible for us to live without impinging upon each other. But there is no way for God, the ultimate Other, ever to be excluded from my life. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is the last authority in your life, whether you acknowledge him or not, and he will have the mast word. God is the One you will have to face.
Let us not run from him like Jonah but allow our lives to be given over to fellowship with the transcendent One.
—Dennis Kinlaw,
This Day with the Master
When God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah ran in the opposite direction, trying to escape God’s plan. But no matter how far he went, God pursued him with relentless love. Jonah’s story reminds us that avoiding God’s call only leads to unnecessary storms and struggles. When we resist Him, we miss out on the incredible purpose He has for us. Even in our disobedience, God’s grace remains, offering us a second chance to turn back to Him. Instead of running away like Jonah, we are called to run toward God in faith. His plans may sometimes seem daunting, but they are always for our good and His glory. When we trust Him, we experience His peace, provision, and power at work in our lives. Just as Jonah eventually fulfilled his mission and saw God’s mercy at work, we, too, will see His faithfulness when we choose obedience over fear. Let us run toward Him with open hearts, ready to embrace His will with joy and trust. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics