Saturday, March 21, 2009
Is God Hiding?
You may have heard someone ask: “If God is so big and powerful, then why is He so hard to find? Is He Hiding?” The answer to the latter question is, “Yes, God is hiding in plain sight.” He will only be had by those who really want Him. I am confident in that answer because of the answer Jesus gave His disciples when they asked Him about the subject:
“The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"
He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:
“Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them.”
"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. " (Matthew 13:10-16 MSG)
Consider how this plays out in the real world. God created a universe so complex and amazing that everyone has a chance to see and admire His handiwork. (Romans 1 states than no one has an excuse not to believe in a Creator.) However, because God does not force Himself on us, He allowed arrogant men to concoct unscientific theories such as evolution, and indoctrinate grade-school children with the foolish notion that there is no God. As a result, only those who are willing to be honest with observable science will press past the deception and discover truths like:
· the earth is young
· there was a world-wide flood
· dinosaurs and mankind coexisted
· man has only inhabited the earth for thousands of years
The above are easily proven from observable science – real science -- but only those who are willing to believe will see. Those too stubborn to believe will be “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7-8 NIV)
God is secure. He has no need to prove Himself. He does not do tricks for those who demand for Him to show His power. He runs the universe on His terms. He has no need or obligation to jump through hoops so men will believe in Him. He has already provided sufficient proof. He was born of a virgin. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He accurately predicted His own death and resurrection. He ascended into heaven in the sight of 500 witnesses. If people refuse to believe after all of that, why would some new miracle convince them?
God is not desperate for a relationship with us. He demonstrated His love and now He waits for those who will respond in kind. His Gospel is plain to those who will believe, but hidden from those who are willing to let theories, philosophies and religions hide them from the One True and Living God.
“The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"
He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:
“Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them.”
"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. " (Matthew 13:10-16 MSG)
Consider how this plays out in the real world. God created a universe so complex and amazing that everyone has a chance to see and admire His handiwork. (Romans 1 states than no one has an excuse not to believe in a Creator.) However, because God does not force Himself on us, He allowed arrogant men to concoct unscientific theories such as evolution, and indoctrinate grade-school children with the foolish notion that there is no God. As a result, only those who are willing to be honest with observable science will press past the deception and discover truths like:
· the earth is young
· there was a world-wide flood
· dinosaurs and mankind coexisted
· man has only inhabited the earth for thousands of years
The above are easily proven from observable science – real science -- but only those who are willing to believe will see. Those too stubborn to believe will be “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7-8 NIV)
God is secure. He has no need to prove Himself. He does not do tricks for those who demand for Him to show His power. He runs the universe on His terms. He has no need or obligation to jump through hoops so men will believe in Him. He has already provided sufficient proof. He was born of a virgin. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He accurately predicted His own death and resurrection. He ascended into heaven in the sight of 500 witnesses. If people refuse to believe after all of that, why would some new miracle convince them?
God is not desperate for a relationship with us. He demonstrated His love and now He waits for those who will respond in kind. His Gospel is plain to those who will believe, but hidden from those who are willing to let theories, philosophies and religions hide them from the One True and Living God.
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