Can you know with certainty? Yes, He is, and yes you can.
Attempting to unravel the delicate petals of a rose in paint is all it takes to leave me in no doubt of the majesty of His existence.
In repsonse to the question, "Is God real?" some claim that He is merely a figment of human imagination, and therefore, a created entity.
The Bible declares that He is independent of His creation.
"Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." Psalm 100: 2,3 KJV
If His existence can be dimissed easily why does this pesky question persist, generation after generation?
Atheists, in particular, are indignant that conversations about God stubbornly refuse to go away!
But why should it bother them, if they are secure in their assertion that He does not exist? Why fill gigantic billboards on freeways denouncing His existence?
If He is just a crutch for weak, illiterate people, as they claim, why not leave them to their delusion?
It seems as if the assertion of a Supreme Being, in particular, the God of the Bible, is what raises the hackles of many.
“Is God real?” is an oft Googled question, reflecting the heart cry of a generation searching for someone to confidently tell them that He is. Yet it is not asked by those wishing to disprove His existence, but rather by those who already know in their hearts that He exists!
Their search is for affirmation—either for someone to anchor the whispers of His existence in their hearts, or to justify their turning away from what they inherently know to be true. The reality of His presence in their lives is what they crave.
Is there really a Creator of our material world, who is just and holy, demanding integrity and adherance to His law? Is there One who alone is worthy of reverent fear and awe?
The Bible describes historical accounts of kings, nomads, priests and nations, living out the consequences of either obedience or rebellion to God. Yet in our generation there seems to be only murky confirmation of His blessing and little evidence of His wrath for mocking, maligning or ignoring Him.
He works through aeons of time, just as surely as He works in individual moments.
Many are disillusioned by their understanding of God, because they looked to those who claimed to know Him, but denied His existence by their contrary actions. Sadly, when our ideas about God are handed over to others to shape and mold, then asking “Is God real?” is not a surprising outcome.
BECOME A STUDENT OF THE BIBLE
On the other hand, believing the Bible is the quickest way to experience His reality for yourself. Why? Because it's pages do not merely contain the words of God, every word is alive and meant for you—spiritual substance, confirmed, protected and passed down for thousands of years. They are divine thoughts from God communicated in human words for every reader.
TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR PURSUIT
Consider your pursuit of God worthy of your time and effort. Slow down to seek Him. Even if there seems to be no perceivable benefits at first, stay commited. He has promised to make Himself known to the earnest seeker.
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." John 16:13
Submit yourself to an education taught not by self-proclaimed “experts,” but rather by God Himself. Give Him time and diligence, while maintaining the conviction that it will truly be worth it. Come before Him in humility, knowing that He is the ONLY worthy source for answers.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR LIMITATIONS
Too many shut God out of their lives, because they reason their way out of believing. If using our limited understanding was the ONLY way of knowing Him, then getting to know Him is already sabotaged!
How much of our world do we really understand? Most of us have only a rudimentary knowledge of how computers or phones work—but that sure doesn’t stop us from using them! Others understood details, while we piggybacked off their knowledge to gain experiential knowledge of these devices. .
“Blind faith is for fools!” you may declare. But what you would call boarding a plane to travel across the country? How much geography, weather patterns or the inner workings of a plane can you explain? How about the pilot to whom you entrust your safety? Do you know with certainty if he slept well the night before?
We make and trust assumptions that appear reasonable. Air travel is considered safe, the training and performance of pilots are reasonably monitored, therefore, boarding a plane is a relatively safe endeavor. That is not "blind faith" but a sensible conclusion based on rational assumptions.
God, who created the magnificence of our natural world, declared that He was knowable, if approached in faith. Millions took Him at His word and opened their lives to His goodness. Their written records, over thousands of years of recorded history, are a continual witness of the blessings of faith.
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6 KJV
When you come before God, you MUST acknowledge His existence, before any more will be revealed to you! That may sound ridiculous when you are on a quest to build faith.
Yet, only if you begin with that acknowledgement will you experience the reality of His existence.
He will prove to you that He is real, by dropping into your spirit wonderful promises from the Bible of things to come. Patiently trust Him until they unfold just as He said. When such miracles happen often in your life and no one will dissuade you from the knowledge that God is indeed real!
It begins by reading the Bible with an expectation to hear—hearing His whisper through its words as you read, receiving solutions for the challenges of your unique life, and then, putting them to practice.
I write down the promises of blessings that I read, marking, dating and reviewing them often, eagerly expecting them to come to pass. In the course of time, I've enjoyed days when I realised that I was living one of His promises that I once read, highlighted and dated!
If you've had that happen just once, you'd be delighted. If life unfolded for you repeatedly in that manner and you'll become addicted to the goodness and faithfulness of God. You'll never again wonder if He was real!
Instead, you’ll join me in proclaiming, with reverence and awe, that not only does He exist, but He is faithful to His word to perform it, if we will believe!
Comments