Listen Up
Can You Hear? God is speaking to you…through His creation and His Word. Be quiet. Unplug. You’ll hear it. Let me start by saying that nobody can prove God exists. But I submit that the evidence is overwhelming for His existence, and only a “worthless person, a wicked man” (Prov. 6:12), we’ll call him Bob, would deny the obvious. There are many possible reasons for denial, but the one that jumps out at me is that Bob doesn’t believe the consequences of not knowing God. Here’s the rest of the section in Proverbs: v.15, “his [Bob’s] calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be NO healing.” Wow.
Whether this applies to Bob’s earthly or eternal life, the finality of the sentencing should literally scare hell out of him. Hell is real. Time is short before Jesus returns for His church (those who trust Him for salvation) to take us to heaven. There’s no way words like calamity, broken, and no healing, can convey a warm, embracing feeling. More likely fear. We dealt with that in our last post. It’s everywhere. We saw that only a relationship to Jesus can release anyone from their fear. But that’s not the point of this discussion.
In Psalm 19,
the psalmist starts out with, v.1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” Everybody sees the heavens. By day, the sun illumines and warms. Science has shown that 93 million miles is the exact distance needed to keep the earth from burning to a crisp or becoming a celestial popsicle. By night, the beauty of billions of stars, just in the Milky Way, provide an unparalleled light show. But that’s only the beginning.
Romans 1:18-22 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…
We see with our own eyes
and marvel at the magnificence of God’s creation. And we hear from God’s Spirit that the creation announces God’s invisible attributes and power. But there’s also the Bible, literally the best-selling book of all time. According to The Guinness Book of World Records in 1995, over 5 billion copies of the Bible had been sold. Here’s one reason, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword…able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).”
So, in case you missed God’s glory in His creation, you can’t miss it in His Word. His character qualities of love, mercy, patience, and so many more are on every page. I like to call it “the owner’s manual,” you know, the how-to book that accompanies a new product. If we’re in Christ, we are new products (creatures) (2 Cor. 5:17). Read the manual. You’ll find all kinds of how-to information from prayer to perseverance, accountability to faithfulness, literally everything necessary for living righteously in an unrighteous world.
What is the “noise”
that’s keeping you from hearing God’s creation? Is it literal noise like constantly plugged-in devices? Or is it the noise of busyness which is often a symptom of avoidance? What are you afraid of? Do you know there is a God and that He can’t tolerate sin, and you also know that you’re a sinner and are afraid of His judgment?
I’ve got great news for you.
You don’t have to be afraid, no matter how bad you think your sin is, God’s grace and mercy are greater. Listen to God’s invitation to YOU: “’Come now, and let us reason together’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow… (Isa. 1:18).’” How, you ask yourself, can my blackness of sin become white as snow? You’re right. There is a price for sin. The Bible says, “…the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:23).” But the price was paid on your behalf by Jesus’ death and resurrection. You just have to acknowledge that you are a sinner and can’t come up with anything (good deeds, charitable donations, nothing) to save yourself, and that you believe what Jesus said about Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6).” For more info on how to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe and His Son, visit “Steps to Salvation” on this site.