BBD 11.02.06 Does God Exist?
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 23 new subscribers since November 1, 2006!!
11.02.06
Does God Exist?
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is
no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone
out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them
He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out
of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising
is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is
nothing hidden from its heat. - Psalm 19:1-6.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. - Romans 1:20.
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." - Psalm 14:1.
The numbers of people living in the United States who are not "absolutely
certain" there is a God has grown over the last three years according to a
survey by the Harris Poll. They found that 42 percent of adults are not sure
about there being a God compared to 34 percent just three years ago.
Surprisingly, 34 percent of Protestants, 36 percent of Catholics, and 70
percent of Jews are not "absolutely certain" there is a God. Perhaps the
most shocking result of the survey was that of those Christians who call
themselves "born again" seven percent were not "absolutely certain" that God
exists.
It may be that the growing numbers of those doubting the existence of God
are the result of a continual attack upon aspects of the faith especially
the supernatural. Attempts have been made many times to explain away the
miracles of the Bible. Those attempts have been increasing over the past
several years with more media exposure.
The Bible does not try to explain why there is a God. The Bible does not
explain where God came from or how God exists. The Bible assumes there is a
God from the very first verse with the profound statement, "In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)." The Bible does state
very plainly that only a fool would say that God does not exist. Why?
Because the evidence that there must be a God is all around us. We view the
evidence in creation and to view the majesty of it is to know that there
must have been a master designer. As the Psalmist said, "The heavens declare
the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."
William Paley (1743-1805) wrote perhaps the most famous metaphor in the
philosophy of science which is the image of the watchmaker (and the
explanation for why there must be a Creator): ". . . when we come to inspect
the watch, we perceive. . . that its several parts are framed and put
together for a purpose, e.g. that they are so formed and adjusted as to
produce motion, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the
day; that if the different parts had been differently shaped from what they
are, or placed after any other manner or in any other order than that in
which they are placed, either no motion at all would have been carried on in
the machine, or none which would have answered the use that is now served by
it. . . . the inference we think is inevitable, that the watch must have had
a maker -- that there must have existed, at some time and at some place or
other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we
find it actually to answer, who comprehended its construction and designed
its use."
Does God exist? It is up to every individual to decide. To believe that God
exists requires faith. You must believe! Do you? With all of the evidence
that there must be a Creator, a God - I believe that it would take a greater
faith to believe that there is not a God. Maybe that is why the Bible says
that you would be a fool not to believe there is a God. "The FOOL has said
in his heart, 'There is no God.'"
Copyright © 2006. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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