God . . . He’s the real thing.

Okay, so we have looked at proofs for the existence of God—

            His created works

                        Jesus Christ incarnate

                                    His revelation of himself in Scripture

I was ready to move on, ready to tackle the rest of Romans chapter one, which can only be ‘tackled’, as it requires brawn.  But then . . . I realized that the above three proofs might be considered objective evidence for the case for God.  There is also another body of evidence which cannot be discounted---personal experience.  And the thing about personal experience is that no one can refute it.  You just can’t tell me I didn’t experience what I know I did . . . ‘you get it?

Intelligently and honestly, I can only speak of my own experience with God.  Why do I believe that God exists? Now, in all candor, I was raised to believe in God, and to have my own relationship with Jesus, Son of God.  But, let’s face it—all of us decide, at some point, whether we will follow the way we were raised, or choose another course.  Clearly, I have continued to believe . . . I have continued to follow.  Why?

First and foremost, I believe and follow because I have a relationship with the living God.  I am aware of his presence, guidance, chiding, and love; how could I walk away from that relationship?  I know that he wants to be in my presence, and longs for me to talk to him, and love him back!  How amazing is that?   God has shown himself to me through the gift of a growing, intimate relationship with him.

Furthermore, I know God exists because I have seen what he has done in other people’s lives: >people radically changed, from dark into light, >from sinful, ego-driven men into men seeking after God’s heart, >a seemingly hopeless drug addict set free, and made clean, sober and radiant with the Holy Spirit . . . all of which speak of the existence, grace, and redemption of a loving God.

Now God does indeed make himself known through creation—and the more one knows of the order of things—the more miraculous is the created order, (which is why the term ‘Intelligent Design’ is so apt).  On a simple level, I became aware of such as I took a watercolor class, first choosing subjects to paint, and then studying them.  Why, there are tropical fish, sunsets, and exotic flowers whose colors are so vivid, so striking that one might at first think, ‘oh, that is so fake!’ until we realize that we are indeed looking at the real thing!   And then, I am spellbound by hummingbirds . . . what majestic, magnificent little creatures!  I have a number of feeders in my garden which allow me to study them; without doubt, they reveal God’s attention to detail, beauty, whim and grace.  Yes, God speaks to me, one silly little Southern California girl, through that which he has created.

Being the recipient of miraculous answers to prayer, more than anything else, has convinced me of a loving, involved and powerful God.  Not just in my own family, but being bedside with others, when the doctors had done ‘all they could do’, and it still wasn’t enough, when I cried out to God, and he came and did what only he could do!  Then I knew that I knew that I knew there was a God, and he was hearing my desperate prayers.  Being involved in the family of faith, there are more and more stories of answered prayer.

Just today, in our little Long Beach Sanctuary community, my friend Howard shared what it was like to awaken from a long coma—feeling like he had a new start, actually believing inside himself that the Holy Spirit had given him a second chance  .  .  .  and that he had to do so through the coma, as it was the only way to get his attention!   Then all around the circle, different ones shared how God had found them, or sustained them through the impossible.  Joe revealed that he had been a ward of the state of Delaware from the age of five upward, never knowing either of his parents, and yet, he found God at age 18, and he had never been the same since.  The guy just radiates warmth and generosity.  The conversation was both radical and timely as it was just what Paul talked about--that God reveals himself to his creation--what I have been trying to unpack over the last couple days.  Everyone was fully engaged, as people talked about how God had shown himself, and in each case, it was slightly different.  In total, if I could zoom out and look at that scene, it is one of many intimate, meaningful, stretching times of communion I have had with God’s people—and those rich exchanges also communicate the love of an all-knowing God to me.

Yes, God is the real thing.  I would not want to imagine my life without him.

Christine