Is there a God? Is there a supreme being or ruler of the universe? How can I be certain? The answer to this question is of utmost importance because, if there is a God and I ignore Him, what will the consequences be?
There are searching questions that demand an answer. Why am I here? From where did I come? What will happen after death? What is the purpose for my life? There must be a reason for my existence.
Throughout the ages of time, people have felt compelled to worship something or someone greater than themselves. Ancient cultures had sun gods, moon gods, thunder gods, and many others. Some native Americans, when discovered by the Europeans, were worshipping what they called the Great Spirit. The ancient Jewish nation worshipped Yahweh, creator of the Earth. It is apparent that inside every person is something that longs to relate to a higher power.
How can the harmony and balance of nature be explained? Think of the seemingly endless food chains, both on the land and in the water. One animal is food for another, which in turn feeds another. This cycle goes on and on, and always there is food for yet another.
Who put the calendar in the heads of the wild birds so they know when it is time to migrate to a warmer climate? How do they know that spring is returning to the land thousands of miles away? One may say it is instinct. That is true, but who placed the instinct there?
Consider one of the fish of the sea. Who put the map in the brain of the salmon that tells it how to leave its ocean home and find the river and the very stream where its life began? There it lays its eggs, and soon after dies, making room in the cycle of life for its offspring who will follow the exact pattern of all its ancestors. Do you think this all just happened by chance?
We know the universe is so well ordered that clocks are set by the rotation of the earth and the various stars and planets. So precise is the movement of these bodies that eclipses and passage of comets can be accurately foretold. Who or what set this precise rhythm of the universe in motion? Is it only chance that among the hostile environments of the heavenly bodies this earth has the right mixture of those elements necessary for plant and animal life? There must be a master plan!
The plan for the universe, nature, our bodies, and our inner personal needs has been set in order by the great God of heaven. No mortal man, past or present, begins to have such power. The precision and detail of his plan shows us that He takes great interest in man and his happiness.
Faith is believing something we cannot see. We cannot see God but we see indications all around us that point to his existence. God has intended that we could not see Him but rather that we could accept his existence by the obvious evidences which testify of Him. God reveals Himself to us as we accept his existence.
One of the most convincing evidences that there is a God is the change that takes place in a person’s life as he becomes intimately acquainted with Him. Those who had the nature of a lion become like a lamb. Where there was hate, there is now love. Where there was fighting, there is now peace. Where there was turmoil within, there is now a quiet rest. Where there were endless questions, there is now confidence. He changes the selfish person into one who cares about others.
Dear reader, do you feel a restlessness inside or a longing for something, but you are not sure what it is? Do not stifle that feeling or try to cover it up. It is your soul reaching out to God. The same God that created the earth can be your God. If you have faith and believe in the God of heaven, your life also can be changed. Instead of resenting the trying circumstances of life, you can rest in the knowledge that God sees and hears and cares.
God reveals Himself through his Word, the Bible. The Bible is history; it is prophecy; it is instruction for life. But, it is also the love of God to us, and gives direction for the inner needs of the soul. Read the Bible. Start with Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1-5. Read Psalms 23 and 51. Pray to God. He promises He will hear you.