‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.’
‘So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.’
An atheist decides against gods; ‘gods are fictions- Superman and Santa Claus are as close as we’ll get.’ Anyway, that’s what I concluded back when I didn’t think much on God. I sort of calculated him out of existence. I reasoned, ‘If God is, then the world would not be like this.’
Enter the bible- ‘an historically-based gathering of fables, fantasies and lies’ that proclaimed an almighty being spoke all creation into existence. “Jehovah” is his name: “the self existent One, the eternal.” To me that explained ‘In the beginning God ..’ but, the real world is still ‘like this.’
So I looked into the bible further, and listened, and balked again (I can’t live life my way, if God is!). The stories made little sense yet wove through my conscience like barbed wire. Finally I decided to be a Christian, and failed, because I was still wrong on the inside. Smiley face outside, frowny inside. For 3 decades I did my best to sedate thoughts about God.
Then one night the LORD grabbed me, via a blacked-out-drunk, “road-to-Damascus” happening that left me no alternate route except him. He stepped in, in Person, and that’s how we remain today. Personal. I sometimes try changing the rules to fit me, but I still answer to him.
When Abram was 99 the LORD appeared, and said to him, ‘I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.’ Jesus repeated, ‘Be thou perfect, even as your heavenly father is perfect.’ Now I get it! ‘Jesus Christ is come in my flesh,’ in my heart. Now I’m able to walk before him perfect: now, ‘I walk in the light, as he is in the light.’
Do you live by a creed, or a personal walk with Christ?
Are you once-born, or twice-born?