Where Is God ?
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A friend of mine from High School, where we were both Christians, now says unless he sees God, he would not believe He exists. In a messenger conversation recently, he wrote:
“God is [not] destroying anything but humanity is causing all the destruction you and I are seeing.”
And he later wrote:
“I see different views and honestly, God is coming from nowhere to help because we create what exists. I have never seen God and if he ever existed, I really want to see him.”
At another time, he also asked me:
“Where is God ? If he exists, why has he allowed Covid-19 to wreak all this havoc?
In my opinion, his views that the destruction we see is being caused by humanity is true; even Covid-19, whether intentional or accidental, was the result of the imperfect human race. The reason is because humanity, as it is now, is imperfect. What God is doing is to try and bring humanity back to perfection. God is closer than we think, but we see him when we honestly seek Him.
READ Acts 17:22-33
So Paul got to his feet in the middle of their council, and began,
“Gentlemen of Athens, my own eyes tell me that you are in all respects an extremely religious people. For as I made my way here and looked at your shrines I noticed one altar (one of a number in Athens) on which were inscribed the words,
TO GOD THE UNKNOWN.
It is this God whom you are worshipping in ignorance that I am here to proclaim to you! God who made the world and all that is in it, being Lord of both Heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he ministered to by human hands, as though he had need of anything—seeing that he is the one who gives to all men life and breath and everything else. From one forefather he has created every race of men to live over the face of the whole earth. He has determined the times of their existence and the limits of their habitation, so that they might search for God, in the hope that they might feel for him and find him—yes, even though he is not far from any one of us.
Indeed, it is in him that we live and move and have our being. Some of your own poets have endorsed this in the words, ‘For we are indeed his children’.
If then we are the children of God, we ought not to imagine God in terms of gold or silver or stone, contrived by human art or imagination. Now while it is true that God has overlooked the days of ignorance he now commands all men everywhere to repent (because of the gift of his son Jesus). For he has fixed a day on which he will judge the whole world in justice by the standard of a man whom he has appointed. That this is so he has guaranteed to all men by raising this man from the dead.”
But when his audience heard Paul talk about the resurrection from the dead some of them laughed outright, but others said, “We should like to hear you speak again on this subject.”
So with this mixed reception Paul retired from their assembly.
Yet some did in fact join him and accept the faith, including Dionysius a member of the Areopagus, a woman by the name of Damaris, and some others as well.
(Acts 17:22-34 J.D. Phillips New Testament)
Paul was in Athens, and was teaching about Jesus and the resurrection. The Athenians at the time liked to hear of new ideas and philosophies, so they took him to their council, the Areopagus (center of temples, cultural facilities, and a high court) and told him:
“May we know what this new teaching of yours really is? You talk of matters which sound strange to our ears, and we should like to know what they mean.” (vv. 19)
In summary, this is what Paul told them:
- He could see they were very religious, and that the one they called, “GOD THE UNKNOWN ,” was actually the God who made the world and all that is in it, being Lord of both Heaven and earth,
- He is not physical, and does not live in temples made by human hands, and cannot be served by human hands, as though he had need of anything.
- He does not need human help because He is the one who gives to all men life and breath and everything else.
- From one man, He created every race of men to live over the face of the whole earth.
- He determined when, and how long, man should live, and where they should stay.
- In all these, He expects them to search for Him, in the hope that they might feel for (or desire) Him and find him— Even though He is not far from any one of us.
- He overlooked man’s ignorance in the past, but now He commands everyone to repent, due to the gift of his son Jesus; because he has fixed a date on which He will judge everyone; and make everything perfect again.
So, God is very close to us, but he expects us — based on all we have seen of Him in nature — to search for Him, and desire Him. In other words, He expects us to say,
“When I look at everything around me, I know they are not by accident. I want, and desire to know who is behind all these.”
It is when we come to that point where we recognize that there should be a supreme being behind all that is happening, that we will begin to genuinely look for Him, and find Him. That is why it will be very difficult for those who think everything came to exist by some chance — or some big bang — to encounter God.
If you cannot recognize that nothing exists by chance, then you are not ready, and cannot recognize God even if He appears to you! And when you do, you need to start earnestly looking for The One behind everything, and you will find Him; because “He is not far from any one of us.” Theologians call these the “General” and the “Specific” revelations.
In other words, God reveals Himself generally to us through nature, but reveals Himself specifically when we seek Him.
It was not always like that:
There was a time when God could come around, and walk where men walked and talk with men (Genesis 3:8-11).
And it will not continue like that forever:
Because a time will come when God would want to restore everything back (Revelations 21:5-8).
But there will be judgment first, so that the bad guys are not carried over into the new! That is when things like Covid-19, wars, greed, evil and the destruction we see around will stop.
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
(Revelations 21:27)
For now, we’ve got choices to make. What would we choose?
To believe that God created everything, and to seek Him and find Him? Or to believe that everything came exist by chance and live anyhow, creating confusion and destruction?
The choice still remains ours.
MEMORY VERSE
“He is not far from any one of us.”
(Acts 17:27)
QUESTIONS
- Do you desire to encounter God personally?
- Do you know that you must first recognize His creation; then desire to know The One behind such wonderful creation?
PRAYER TIP
Father, please open our eyes to see You in Your creation, then we can seek You and find You.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer” for guidance if you want to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you.
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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