Before any church meeting, there is a devotion where someone reads an excerpt from a book or tells a story. Lisa Boatwright, however, had something else in mind. She brought an old cardboard box filled with slips of paper and asked each of us to take one and write a statement about something God can do or something God has done and then put the paper back in the box. 

After following instructions, Lisa said: “Now we have all these statements about God in a box, but we can’t leave God in a box can we? Can we!?”

Then she opened her Bible and read from Ephesians: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” — Eph. 3:16-18.

God strengthens us with power through His Spirit. Christ dwells in your hearts through faith. Being rooted and established in love, you have power. To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Lisa then passed the box around the room again with instructions to pull out one slip of paper and read it. After reading it, we taped the statement to the outside of the box. One after another we read and taped. “God has healed my broken spirit so many times.” God can move mountains: those in our hearts and those in our minds. “God can help me grow in my faith.” God has blessed me with a beautiful loving fiancé. “God can give you strength to be strong in the face of persecution.”

Did you hear it? God healed. God moved mountains. God helped me grow. God blessed me. God can give you strength. Something was stirring inside our room. A group of people gathered to do the business of the church with God tucked safely inside their box found themselves being transformed by the power of encouragement through God’s Holy Spirit.

Isaiah wrote about being transformed: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.” — Isaiah 61:10. God can bring us together in all things. God can make Himself visible when we need Him most. God can heal all doubts. God can heal our wounded hearts. God has kept His promises to me and prospered me.

Wow! Something was happening as we heard one saying after another: “God brings us together. God makes himself visible. God can heal our doubts and our wounded hearts. God keeps his promises.” As each person spoke and taped their saying to the box, you could feel the power of God in our midst. 

In the first book of the Bible, a representative of God said: “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” — Genesis 18:14. God has been there to comfort and give me patience while at home recovering. God has given me peace of mind following a very anxious and troubling event. God loves us even when we mess up! God has provided me with a loving, wonderful life. God has opened my heart to serving.

Our hearts and minds were melting as we heard one example after another about our amazing Lord. “God comforts. God gives me peace. God loves us. God provides. God opened my heart.” It was encouraging to hear so many examples of what God can do and has done but it was especially encouraging to see the old cardboard box now covered with examples of God’s amazing love. 

The prophet Jeremiah wrote: “O Sovereign lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” — Jeremiah 32:17. God can do all things. God can make all things new — including me and you.

Our God can do all things and make all things new. Thanks to the lesson provided by Lisa Boatwright, a typical church meeting was transformed into a “Holy Moment” of God.

Rev. Larry E. Davies can be reached at larrydavies@sowingseedsoffaith.com.