Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to
your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. Why let the nations say, “Where is their
God?” Our God is in the heavens, and he
does as he wishes. Their idols are merely
things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They
have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot
make a sound. And those who make idols
are just like them, as are all who trust in them. Psalms 115:1-8 (NLT)
When it comes to “god” the choices are fairly well
defined:
1. You
believe in God
2. You
don’t believe in God
3. You
don’t think about God at all
Let’s consider the list as a countdown…in reverse
order:
First…Not thinking at all about God
To refuse to think is what a lot of people do, simply
because it’s easier. Not entertaining
the notion of a creator makes it a whole lot simpler to cruise through life
like a leech, sucking up the “good life” while not worrying about weightier
issues like morality or eternity. Easy. No brainer (at all).
Second…Not believing in God
To refuse to believe in God takes a lot more thought-effort. After all, there is science to contend with, and
what to do with all the natural order and where-we-came-from-and-where-we’re-going issues. Then the metaphysical stuff gets in the
way…ethics and why we think at all about good and evil and the meaning of our
existence. To refute the idea of
“creator” and explain away all that takes a lot of work.
Consider this fact: science requires that things (substance) left
to itself tend to come unglued – fall apart.
Yet in nature, the universe (if you don’t believe in a creator) supposedly
came together in perfect order…all by itself.
Makes one’s brain hurt to do that without God! Much more difficult than just not thinking
about God at all.
Third…You believe in God
Well, good; the question then becomes, in what
or whom do you believe?
You can choose something you can
hold in your hands; a god of your creation (an idol). And if that’s your choice, well then, Gee
Whiz, if you created God, then you must be the Creator; you’re
God! Ooops…can’t bring that one to
Sunday School now, can we?
Or you could choose to believe in an impersonal
force. In the Star Wars Trilogy Luke
Skywalker chose the Force; something of a magical power, universal and
unknowable. But it was something you could tap-into to
defeat the other, the Dark Side. Wow…sounds just like a struggle between good
and evil, full of ethical and integral choices.
Kind of like spooky philosophy.
But, if you’re a traditionalist – a Methodist, perhaps
– you just might chose faith in something a little more dangerous. You might choose to place your faith in a God
you cannot see, but whose works are evident every single nanosecond of time and
eternity.
You can look at yourself and see Him; His image is
imprinted on everything that makes you who you are. Deep down you know this…and that’s why
placing your faith in God is entirely possible.
He is the personal, knowable and eternal God of Scripture.
Unlike the gods you can create, who may have eyes (but
don’t see), ears (but can’t hear) and so on…Lord God of Heaven is worthy of
glory, honor, praise and worship.
For You, Today…
Go on and let it
out. Say it out loud – “Praise God, from
Whom all blessings flow!”
Now you’re on
the path to a great day!
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