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There was a popular song that came out in (*gasp*) 1993 called "God Shuffled His Feet" (lyrics found in the link). Yes, it's just a pop song, but I think its a great illustration of how man often seems to see God ... with an attitude of pride, as if God could squirm when we - the created - look questioningly into the Eyes of The Creator. It's not at all as if God hasn't provided answers for our questions. He knows we need those answers, and so He does not ask blind faith from us. His Word, The Bible, is overflowing with the answers. Yes, I realize that many people who might read that will scoff at any suggestion that The Bible holds the answers. To the modern, politically-correct, postmodern, relativistic mind that somehow sounds backwards, narrow-minded and judgmental - rather than clear and liberating. Yet I have never met anyone who has actually studied The Bible to be able to continue scoffing at it. Even the harshest of critics come to Faith when they lay their anger and cynicism at God's Feet, and actually study His Word diligently and honestly, with an open heart. What's in The Bible are highly unified expressions of outrageous Love and Power, seamlessly cross-referenced with each other across generations of different people throughout all time, and backed up with thousands of fulfilled prophesies that cannot be statistically explained by coincidence. And finally, of course, God Himself put His very Life on the line for us when He willingly took up His Cross and died for the sins of us, the created. Finally, he performed the unique-in-all-of-history miracle (and the ultimate Proof of Christianity's peerless Truth) of defeating death and rising on the third day...a fact that has over 500 eyewitnesses from that time, who didn't just write in The Bible. If after all of that we still wish to look questioningly at God, He would have far too much confidence to shuffle His feet. Rather, He looks back at us and patiently says "bring it to Me, My child." Personally, my human nature cannot imagine why He would not say instead "if after all I've done you still cannot approach me properly and humbly, then to hell with you." (literally). Yet He does not. He still loves us enough to continue "knocking gently at the door of our heart," as The Bible puts it, still inviting us to come Home." But when we do approach Him, we cannot do so with an attitude of "prove Yourself to me." First of all, He is God and we are not. This is the same God Who knit the atoms together for everything that exists, set it all into motion with His Will alone, and then made it all fit and work together with staggering intricacy and balance. By contrast, our most advanced super computers spend years processing a massive program just to get a robot to walk upright for a few, preplanned, canned steps. So how can we still have so much pride? Pride is that inexplicable human failing that allows people to see God in a way that allows them to think He still has some need to prove Himself. It's why they say that "pride comes before a fall," and why it is the defining characteristic of a fool. By contrast, the wise are humble. Is it not true that the most impressive people you meet are the ones least impressed with themselves, and who have the least need to inflate themselves to others? Our approach to God HAS TO BE one of "I cannot fathom the depth of Love that could have driven You to do all that You have done for me." From that view, we can only feel humbled. I do not mean grovelingly so...the fact that God values us the way He clearly does should prevent anyone wondering about their massive worth - worth that can only be found by understanding our premier place in the Heart of God. And He's nowhere done with us even then. He is ready and waiting to continue to bless us once we accept Him and rely upon Him. Mind-boggling that we are this important to Him...and yet we are. He lets us know that again and again.
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