Fear God - Enjoy Heaven

 

Old man comes into a restaurant, sits at his usual table, and orders the usual - matzoh ball soup. The waiter sets it down in front of him and stands back to watch him enjoy it. But the man just sits there. "Is there something wrong?" the waiter asks. "I can't eat this soup," the man replies. "Is it too hot?" the waiter asks. "No." "Too cold?" - "No." "Too salty?" - "No." The waiter calls for the maître d', and for the chef, and each goes through the same routine: "Too hot? - Too cold?" "No, no, no." Finally, the chief, at his wits end, says, "Sir, I will taste the soup myself. Where is the spoon?" Says the old man: “A-ha!"

[Hebrews 3:4] “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.” Both evidence and reason point convincingly to faith in God. The charge of “blind faith,” often leveled against the conviction of believers, better describes the plight of those who see a world without God. A house suggests a builder. To imagine a house building itself, or accidentally exploding into existence, is to contemplate the absurd. Such a nonsensical notion, absent of any empirical, philosophical, or historical foundation, is “blind faith” to the extreme. But there is a faith equally ridiculous and even more blind. The imagination that everything in our universe – mass and matter, living tissue and intelligent beings – was brought into existence without a Designer, without a Maker, has become a matter of faith for many pseudo-scientists of our day. And these same scientists propagate and defend their faith with nothing short of religious fervor tending toward wild fanaticism. With nothing to work with other than conjecture and theory, such faith, no matter how firmly held, is nothing if not blind. Simply put, which requires a blinder faith – the thought of everything coming into existence from nothing, naturally, without God? Or the realization that all things must come from some source, from some beginning? (In this case from the God of heaven). The Bible, as always, has it right: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis1:1). “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth . . . For He spoke, and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Psalms 33:6-9). “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmaments shows His handiwork.” (Psalms 19:1). And perhaps the truism of truisms is this inspired nugget from Palms 53:1; “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” (Dalton Key, Bulletin Digest March 2020)

There are many people who look on those who are religious as naïve, that is, people with good intentions, but devoted people deluded by ideas not based in reality. Though this is hardly the case, it matters not; some just choose to think this because they desire to live in accordance with what the world presents. Unfortunately, many Christians give them reason to think this because they themselves do not align their lives with the confession of Christ they express. There is no greater need in our time, than the need to fear God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; But fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). The fear of the Lord is that understanding of God's greatness and power, and man's accountability toward Him. An “unknown God” cannot be trusted, served, nor worshipped. A scriptural and saving knowledge of God is the greatest need of every person, in every generation. Belief in God is the foundation principle of the Christian faith. The writer of the book of Hebrews said, "…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). One cannot enjoy good soup without a spoon. One must fear and obey God to enjoy heaven for eternity.