God’s Way: A Blessing and A Curse.
“The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.” – Proverbs 10:29 NLT
Whether you believe in God or not has nothing to do with whether He exists or not. He exists and He is consistently God. He has a way about Him that impacts the life of every human being, regardless of whether they worship or ignore Him. God’s character is consistent and unchanging. He doesn’t surprise you by acting differently on one day than He did the day before. His “way” is reliable. Think of it like gravity. Gravity has a “way” about it. It is consistently the same, always influencing the lives of men equally and equitably. As long as you understand the “way” of gravity, you’ll do just fine. In fact, you will survive. But if you attempt to ignore gravity and act as it it doesn’t exist or have any influence over you, it will probably not go well with you. Whether you admit it or like it, you are under the influence of gravity each and every day of your life. As you walk around, you are being controlled by gravity. If you attempt to fly off the side of a cliff, you will find out just how real and powerful gravity can be.
In the same way, men and women who refuse to believe in God, attempt to live their lives as if He does not exist. They refuse to acknowledge and obey His “way.” They ignore His laws and commands. They want to act as if He is not even there. But like gravity, God does not go away. He is ALWAYS influencing the lives of men – both believing and non-believing. But there is real benefit to understanding God and His ways. When we learn to fear God for who He is and what He can do, we learn humility. We understand our powerlessness in the face of His infinite power. We learn to respect and appreciate Him for all that He does for us. For millenniums, mankind has tended to see gravity as restrictive. It kept us down and prevented us from soaring with the eagles. But in reality, it was the power that allowed us to survive on this planet. It literally kept us grounded. God is the same way. He is the power that keeps us grounded in life. In this chapter of Proverbs we have a long list of maxims and reminders of the benefits that come to those who recognize God for who He is, understand His ways and live according to them. We are told that they will not go hungry (10:3), they will be showered with blessings (10:6), they will be remembered well when they are gone (10:7), they accept instruction and discipline gladly (10:8, 17), walk safely (10:9), speak wisely (10:11, 13, 20-21, 31-32), treasure knowledge (10:14), enjoy the benefit of their labor (10:16), enjoy God’s blessing (10:22), find pleasure in living wisely (10:23), have their hopes fulfilled (10:24), survive the storms of life (10:25), experience happiness (10:28), and live life with an unwavering confidence in God regardless of what happens to them (10:30). But what about the ungodly? You can go back and read what happens to them, but I think you already know. If you choose to ignore God’s way, you will suffer the consequences. You can choose to believe He doesn’t exist, but it doesn’t make Him go away, and it doesn’t free you from His influence.
Father, You have made Yourself known to mankind in so many ways, but yet the majority of us on this planet still refuse to acknowledge Your existence. There are still millions upon millions of people who want to act as if You don’t exist or matter. But even more sadly, there are far too many of us who claim to believe in You who still refuse to live according to Your way. Open our eyes and help us see the tremendous benefits that come from living according to Your way. Amen
Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org