21 Dec 2012, by Adeline Lum-
A typical day for Daniel Wong when he was younger, would be him waiting for his parents at his school library till 6 p.m. With a voracious reading appetite, he would read books from environmental sciences to politics. His knowledge began to expand, so was his pride in knowing more than his parents.
Life was good for Daniel! He was an excellent student and his family was doing well in business. There was no need for God in his life… No car wrecks, broken relationships or illness, but a mere step of questioning his faith based on what he knew about the world from the books he read.
“When I read about things going on in the world, I ask myself why God would allow such bad things to happen” said Daniel who was exposed and interested in activism during then.
Don’t we all ask this question? How can a good God allow evil to happen in our world?
With that, watch this video by Ravi Zaccharias, entitled “Addressing the Problem of Evil.” Ravi is a known apologist traveling worldwide.
“I wonder how issues can be completely resolved without God?” said Daniel upon contemplation. He questioned. He seek. And he found…
“I realized without God… many issues cannot be resolved,” said Daniel realizing his limit and dependence towards God, and that was the turning point for him!
“From then onwards, I learned and changed to become more humble and appreciate my family more,” said Daniel.
Many of us have questions about God. In fact, questions are not bad because it demonstrates a keen interest akin to the curiosity of a child wanting to know more. Often, the people who challenge their faith and seek earnestly for the truth are the ones who would truly understand why they came to believe in Jesus.
What’s dangerous today is complacency and indifference, where we cease to have interest about who God is. We accept things as they are, no longer bewildered about Him. We nod in agreement to biblical scriptures and talk like a Christian, because it is politically correct to do so in church and among Christians. We attend church services like zombies, like attending a lecture class in college.
Where is that passion and spark for Him? Is God really that boring? Why do we keep putting God aside for “more interesting” things and people?
Revelation 3:14-22
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Yes, this scripture is pretty clear that God did not want long-distance relationships with His children. God is within the reach of our hands. In fact, we have no distance with God at all because His spirit lives in us. He is with us wherever and whenever we are. I used to joke that I need some “personal space” from God, but how can I? His spirit lives in me. He wants to be so intimate with us that there is really nothing that would separate us from Him.
Romans 8:38-39
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But so often, we only turn to him as our last resort, our last straw, where there is nowhere to go and no one to find? I find it perplexing myself. The people in the Bible are real people like us, flesh and blood; they are no super humans. Yet, why is God so real in their lives? I believe if we truly spend time to look at God, we would discover things deeper and more satisfying that anything that this world can offer.
Would you like to have a relationship with someone who sees every bit of you, the beautiful and ugly, and yet love you no-matter-what? I find this person quite attractive, and that is who God is really- a friend, a Father and a counselor.
Perhaps, all we need to do is simply pray to Him, or really talk to Him. Let us not only read and learn about Him, but let us now walk with Him.
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