Monday, February 20, 2023

 

Monday, February 20, 2023


Psalms 114; 115

Genesis 35:1-15

Luke 10:1-12


Observance: William Grant Broughton, first bishop of Australia (d. 1853)


Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”


So far in our journey through Genesis, we have not yet run into any God except the one true God: God Almighty, El-Shaddai. For those of us who have read ahead and know what is coming (or have read the Psalms closely), we know that eventually the people who God is leading will run into pagan religion and false idol worship.


It may seem like a silly thing for us to worry about: we have no temptation of false gods here in our enlightened, 21st Century, western society. But the teaching is just as relevant today as it was several thousand years ago.


I am a Christian chauvinist: that is, I believe that the triune God as revealed in the scriptures is the only God, and that Christianity is the only true religion. This is because I can confidently separate all religions, philosophies and world-views into two categories, and I believe you can, too.


Either you wish to manipulate the universe into doing what you want it to do, or you recognise that the creator God as revealed by Jesus Christ is completely autonomous and has the final say.


This is why we are constantly asked “where is your God?”. In times of trial, non-Christians turn to us and wonder why we couldn’t have made God do something different. But our God is in the heavens, and He does whatever He pleases. We can’t make God do anything. We are the creatures; God is the Creator.


It is a true honour to be allowed to worship such an awesome being. We have no inherent right to be allowed to know anything about such a God, or to be able to even speak to Him. Yet, not only does God reveal Himself to us, tell us a bit about Himself, give us instructions on how to live a good life, but He came and died and rose again so that we could be in the very closest communion with Him – for eternity.


All our limitations and our mortality means nothing, except to show us how amazing God is for removing it from us. Our God is in the heavens, and He does whatever He pleases – and He is pleased to be with us forever.



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