October 9, 2017

October 9, 2017

Psalm 55:1-3

"Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;

hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

because of what the enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger."

So many thoughts are boiling around in my head the past few months.

So many new ideas and things I'm trying to comprehend all at once.

I'm currently in a philosophy class at my high school, and already, I have gotten so flustered over a few of the topics we have discussed. 

Predestination/Predetermination, morals, is there a God?

The main reason I continually am becoming flustered is because I am not sure how on earth to respond to the kinds of things that are being said in class about these topics. 

Of COURSE, there is a God.  Of course, He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. 

But how do I explain my crazy jumbled thoughts to a class where so many kids are going to rebut my beliefs?  How do I respond?  Why do I believe what I believe?

Why is it that I believe that predestination and predetermination are both loads of garbage?

I've been attending my boyfriend's youth group the past few weeks and I brought the matter of predestination and predetermination to the group.  Last night, we talked about it.  It was amazing.

The biggest point and conclusion we ended up coming to was that

God is all-powerful, but God is NOT all- CONTROLLING.

I'll come back to all that predestination and predetermination discussion stuff sometime else, but I thought that I was satisfied.  I was so happy with the conversation last night.  Then, I went back to philosophy class today... And I became flustered once again.

We started class with this statement: There exists a God who is all-powerful, knowing, and loving.

Do you: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree or Strongly Disagree with this statement?

I of course, strongly agree.  I was alone.

My classmates were talking about how "there couldn't possibly be a God who loves everyone, and who is all-loving or all-powerful" and "We cannot even begin to understand the possibility of a God who is all-loving or all-powerful so it cannot exist."

WHAT?

As John 3:16 states, 

"For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

How is that not all-loving? 

Let's review: God, the one who created all of us, HUMANS, who were in desperate need of a savior, sent down to us His Son.  He sent down someone who is 200%! 100% man, and 100% God.  And His plan was to sacrifice His only Son so that we could be saved.  So that we could understand and live forever someday.  So that we would not have to feel the pain of this world forever.  So that the Devil could not keep us in custody.  Would you be willing to kill your own child so that you could save the world from sin and death?

I know all of this is rambling and may just seem like ranting, but the big picture point that I pray you all get from this is the fact that there is a God.  And not only is there a God.  Our God is mighty.  He IS all-powerful.  He IS all-knowing. And absolutely, He IS ALL-LOVING. 

I pray that not one of you ever begins to doubt that God loves you.

I pray that not one of you ever begins to doubt the love that God has for you, even with the words and temptations and troubles that the Devil brings for you through other people and other circumstances.

I don't know about you, but I have faith in someone I don't see.

I have faith, because that someone is God.

And that someone gave up his son so that I could live.

God, please, as I go through this philosophy class, and I go through my junior year of high school and beyond, please give me strength and faith.  Please lift me up when people bring me down.  Please help me stand up and defend my faith no matter what.  Please hear this prayer and help me, because I am in desperate need of You.  And once again, Lord, please help me to make an impact in someone's life.  Even if it is only one life.

I challenge all of you (and myself) to wake up every morning and have the first thing you think about be how loved you are by an all-powerful Lord who has given you a purpose and given you free will.

I dare you.