Day 9: WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES GOD MAKE IN THE WORLD?

The late John Lennon sang:

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today …

Wouldn’t life be better without God, no heaven, no hell? Doesn’t God and religion bring all sorts of trouble into the world? Maybe my life would be better without God.

We really can’t imagine a world without God, because the world would cease to exist without God upholding and sustaining it. We may think that it’s the laws of physics that are upholding the world, but who established and who enforces the laws of physics?

But for the sake of argument, let’s imagine a world that God created and then abandoned: no God, no heaven, no hell. What would that world be like?

A place without forgiveness: Why should I forgive people who have hurt me? I want to and will get revenge on anyone who has hurt me. They need to have a taste of what they did to me.

A place of selfishness: What’s in it for me? What do I get out of this? What pleases me? Who cares about you, it’s me that counts!

A place without love: It’s a dog-eat-dog world. It’s the survival of the fittest. If you are not fit enough or tough enough, that’s your bad luck!!!

A place without meaning: My life counts for nothing. I am just here briefly and will soon be forgotten. It doesn’t matter what I do, it is all meaningless.

A place without hope: This is all there is. When I die, I cease to exist. I want to live, but I know that I will soon die. Death is so black, but it is coming for all of us. I despair over the death of loved ones. I will never, never, never see them again.

John Lennon thought a world without God would be heavenly. The reality is that a world without God is Hell. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to see that!

So what difference does God make? We could focus on the difference made by God’s creation and His sustaining of the world. Of course there would be no world without His creative genius and power. But lets get more personal.

God brings love into the world and He teaches us how to love one another. The love of Jesus shows us how to love, not just our relatives and friends, but those in need and even our enemies. Jesus shows us the length and depth of love. And that kind of selfless love put to action makes all the difference in our lives and in the world.

God brings forgiveness into the world, as He gave His Son to forgive us. That forgiveness gives us power to forgive others on a daily basis. That forgiveness enables believers to put aside vengeance, leaving that to God. That forgiveness enables close and distant relationships to thrive, even though those relationship are plagued by sinful attitudes and selfish actions.

God brings us out of ourselves and helps us to be generous toward others. By nature, we always think of ourselves first. Christ’s sacrifice for us helps us sacrifice our self interests, our desires, our time, and our money on behalf of others.

With God, there is meaning and purpose to all of life. Even bad things can have meaning as God works through them for the good of those who love Him. In the joyful times, we have Someone to thank. In the difficult times, we have Someone to lean on.

Because of God, life does not end at the grave. Through the resurrection of Jesus, He gives the sure promise of everlasting life to those who believe in Him. That promise and power makes all the difference when we are confronted by the power of death.

A Thought From a Man who Felt Abandoned by God: Psalm 42:5-11.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and

your waves have gone over me.

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is

with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go

Mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

This man felt that God was far from him. He felt deep despair. He felt like he was drowning, waves and waterfalls crashing over him. He felt deep wounds from others. He felt hopeless. But what did he tell himself? “Hope in God!” – God would bring salvation. This is a great thought for us. Place your hope in God! He is the God who saves! He saves your life on earth and saves your life for eternity. God makes all the difference in this world and the next!

Prayer: O God, thank you that you have not abandoned the world. Forgive me for the many times that I have lived as if you are not here. Bring the awareness of your light and love more fully into my life. In the name of the Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen.