I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit. [Ephesians 1:17-18 (ESV)]
I received an email regarding a not yet released Christian movie about a journalist who has the opportunity to interview someone who claims to be God. The email posed an interesting question: “If you could interview God, what would you ask?”
An interview with God would appear to be a journalist’s dream opportunity! As I started thinking of questions, I realized I wouldn’t want to know the answers for many. I don’t want to know when or how I’ll die and I certainly wouldn’t want to be privy to that information about anyone else. I wouldn’t want to know exactly what will become of friends who don’t believe or who will go where at judgment. A friend said he might ask how he was doing but, fully aware of his failings, realized he probably wouldn’t want to hear God’s answer. Some friends in Chicago might want to ask Him about the Cubs but, unless they were gamblers, knowing the answer would be a season spoiler. There is much that God could tell me that I wouldn’t want to know because I could never live with the weight of His answers.
On the other hand, many of God’s answers would be amazingly profound in their simplicity. If I did ask when I would die, His answer would be “Never” since He’s already given me eternal life. If I asked how He could possibly love me, His answer would be, “Because I am love and you’re my child.” If I asked how he managed creation, He might answer, “With a word!” If I asked what proof there is of His existence, He’d remind me to open my eyes and see the proof in a sunrise, sunset, butterfly or flower. When asked how He came to be, He’d reply that He’s always been and forever will be. If I dared ask why people suffer, He would remind me that Job already asked that one. He’d probably add, “You wouldn’t understand!” which is correct, because I wouldn’t. Conceivably, many of His answers would consist of only one word—such as listen, sacrifice, love, obey, trust, believe, share, witness, care and forgive. If I asked what I should know, He’d tell me I already had everything I truly needed to know in the Bible, his love letter to us, and then remind me to spend more time reading it. Fortunately, there’s no need to make an appointment for a formal interview with God; we can interview Him every day in prayer!
Thank you, God, for the privilege of reading your word and coming to you in prayer.
Our supreme need, our only need, is to know God, the living God, and the power of His might. [Martyn Lloyd-Jones]
“I’ve never seen eye to eye with Mary since we were neighbors,” said the woman harshly. Her statement begged us to ask, “Why?” The woman beside her, however, refused the invitation with the comment, “Well, we can’t get along with everyone!” and promptly changed the subject. Gossip was avoided that time but it’s not always so easy; the line between conversation and gossip is a fuzzy one at best.
I’ve been reading a book about discovering one’s “authentic” self; among other things, the author concluded that her authentic self wears make-up. I admit to wearing make-up, coloring my hair, wearing a padded bra and using Spanx, but I’d never call that my authentic self! Without a doubt, that’s my more attractive self, but hardly the authentic one! While I don’t consider it “authentic,” trying to appear as attractive as possible isn’t hypocritical. Pretending to be one person in public and actually being another one in private is!
With John’s purchase of his sporty new car, I thought I was done writing about Lynn Johnston’s comic strip For Better or For Worse and temptation. I’d forgotten all about Ted, John’s friend, who suggested a “spicy dish” and some “after hours recreation.” Shocked, John had said, “Your wife wouldn’t put up with you messing around!” Ted smugly replied, “Oh she suspects…The trick is—never let them know for sure!!” Six weeks after appearing in that comic, Ted reappeared in another one. When Ted grumpily refused a ride in John’s new car, John wondered if he’d gotten out of the wrong side of the bed. No longer smug, Ted dejectedly responded, “Doesn’t matter what side of the bed I get out on anymore…My wife left me.” I didn’t see that coming and, apparently, neither did Ted!
