The God Box: Redeeming Love

If you have not read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers I highly recommend you do! It is a beautiful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea set in California’s gold country in the mid 1800’s. Francine Rivers’ writing helps you understand the unfailing and unwavering love of our heavenly Father and illustrates the steadfast spirit and obedience we as Christians aim to have through Micheal Hosea. This book is one of my favorites, it made me cry, smile, and overflowed me with emotion.

It was through this book that I was given the idea of a “God Box”. In the book a character named Susanna has a “God box” that she describes by saying “When problems prey on my mind, I write them down, fold them up, and put them through the slot. Once they’re inside this box, they’re God’s problem and not mine.” (Rivers, 1997). When I first read this I thought to myself “why didn’t I think of that”, the idea of a God box seemed like such a brilliant idea to me because as Susanna described herself in the book as a “fixer” and said “I want to play God”, I saw those same issues within myself.

I have always struggled with control and that translated into my relationship with God. I always tried to keep things to myself instead of giving them to God because I was afraid He might change things in a way I didn’t want Him too. I was so concerned with my will being done that I wasn’t asking for God’s will to be done in my life. This is why adopting the idea of the God box has been so beneficial to me.

My God box was gifted to me by someone who is very dear to me which made it even more special for me. I truly felt like God was pushing me to relinquish my control of things when I was gifted a box specifically for this reason and I’m truly thankful God moved through the person that gave me my God box. The minute I put my first slip of paper in my God box I felt a shift in my relationship with God. As I prayed over what I was giving God an overwhelming peace covered me to the point where I felt it in my bones.

I put problem after problem in my God box and with each prayer and problem I placed in that box I felt closer and closer to God. I needed this, this tangible thing that I can see and feel. The slips of paper that I could lock away and not touch any longer once they entered the box. It has been so therapeutic for me to be able to write out what I’m giving to God and actually give it to him.

It has taught me so much about my issues with control and showed me how me trying to take control of things was hindering my relationship with God. Because in reality, even through I pulled away from God and tried to hide my issues and solve my problems myself, I was never in control to begin with. He always was and is in control no matter how hard I tried to do it myself.

My God box has also taught me so much about God’s power and His will for me. A lot of the time many things in my God box don’t come true in the way I envisioned them too, but no matter what they come true in God’s timing and in His will for me. Just because I think something is the best for me does not mean that my all encompassing Father doesn’t have an even greater plan for my life.

But this is why I date each slip of paper that goes into my God box and then date it again when God fixed that problem, removed that suffering, set me free from that sin, and answered my prayer. It’s such a beautiful thing to see God working in your life and to know that He hears you.

So I encourage you to get a God box of your own, even if you don’t struggle with control or giving things to God. I think it’s a beautiful tool to use to develop your relationship with God and a wonderfully tangible way to let go of things weighing you down and to just trust God.

I hope that my journey with my God box inspires you and let’s you know that you’re not alone in your struggle of control or being a “fixer”.

Rivers, F. (1997). Chapter 32. In Redeeming love (pp. 423-438). Chicago, IL: Multnomah Publications.