Is God Real?
Is God real? Some people say that there is no God. Other people say that God is real. When your heart is full of wickedness, arrogance, and greed, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that there is no God.
There is no God!
Psalm 10:2-11 says,
“In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’ His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, ‘I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.’ His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, ‘God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.’”
This is certainly not an uplifting passage of scripture, but it is authentic, and that is perhaps the #1 reason I like reading and studying the book of Psalms.
Sadly, we all know people who say, “There is no God.” In fact, you may be one of those people.
If you are, I encourage you to get hold of a copy of the Bible and read it regularly and prayerfully. Your prayer can be something as simple as this: “God, if you’re real, please reveal Yourself to me through the words of this book.”
This passage is not, however, speaking of those who are in search of truth. It is about the arrogant, the wicked, the greedy, the stubborn, the boastful. The one who looks out only for himself and doesn’t care who they hurt to get what they want. The one who renounces the Lord.
Jesus summed up the commandments with two directives: Love God and love others. The individual in this passage only loves himself and seems to take pleasure in destroying others, especially the poor and the helpless.
It’s no wonder the psalmist was overwhelmed and disheartened.
Examining Ourselves
While I would pray that this portion of God’s Word does not accurately describe any of us, still, we must carefully examine our own heart and motives. It is not only the extremes mentioned here that we are to be on the lookout for.
Here is a series of questions applicable no matter how old you are, though you may want to simplify them for younger children:
- If everything is going well, do I think much about God, who He is, and what He may want me to do? Do I take the time to pray and thank Him that things are going well? Do I ask Him what He wants me to do?
- Do I become arrogant and boastful, thinking things will always run smoothly? Do I think I deserve an easy life?
- When I accomplish something that required a lot of effort, who do I think deserves the most praise and recognition, me or the Lord? Do I remember to thank Him for allowing me to accomplish whatever it was?
- When I am speaking with someone, do I talk more about me or them? Does the topic of God even enter the conversation?
- Am I careful about what I say? Do I consider if my words will honour God and bless those who hear them?
- Do I ever take pleasure in hurting another person, physically or emotionally?
- Do I deny God’s existence in word—or deed?
- Am I convinced that He is real and has a claim on my life or do I think He’s too busy or unconcerned to pay attention to what I do and say?
As you can see, these are not superficial questions. They are not to be taken lightly. By in large, they are not questions anyone else can answer for us. They not only have to do with our actions but also with our thoughts, motives, and beliefs. Only we can answer these question—and only after we have given them careful consideration.
As I said earlier, our prayers can be as simple as this: God, if you’re real, please show me the truth.
We can also ask Him to help us see ourselves as He does. Many times I haven’t liked what I’ve learned about myself, but I know He loves me and will be with me each step of the way.
How has God rescued you? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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