It is hard to understand an Eternal God
It is so very hard for humans to understand all the ways of an Eternal All Powerful God. For us to understand HIM, we would have to be like HIM and live in HIS world.
Much like animals are to us, don't you think? Animals cannot understand why we do the things we do. Why do we wear clothes, eat at tables, go behind closed doors to take care of personal business, sleep in beds, cook, etc. It was just an example, but hopefully you get the point.
Since we humans are made with the ability to reason, we can, however, observe and study animals to find out why they do what they do. It is very hard for us to understand why dogs urinate on the corners of our couches, or roll in stinky-stuff as soon as we give them a bath. To humans, this is disgusting. But if we research their territorial habits, we find that smell is very important in the animal world.
Much the same, if we study and research our Loving Father through HIS word, we will come to more understanding of HIS ways. The more we read, the more we know.
Why Study the Bible?
Even within our own species, there is a severe lack of understanding. Children do not understand why parents have to have specific rules. Children, and sometimes the parents, do not understand why teachers give homework, teach certain ways, exercise zero-tolerance in classroom, and why they get into to trouble for some of the most menial things. But when you become a teacher, you begin to understand why these things have to be.
God is our Father, He loves us
Our God created us to Love us. He is our Father. If you are an adult with children, look at this from the perspective of a parent. If not, attempt to look at it from your parent's view: which is hard to do. Usually we don't understand why our parents do things until we become parents and have to do the same thing.
Would a loving parent want to harm his/her child? No, of course not. A parent wants all that is Good for that child. That is exactly what God wants for us.
As a parent, would you want your child to visit you, call you, show you he/she cares? Of course. That is exactly what God wants for us.
As a parent, when your child goes astray, can you force him/her to love you? Does that ever work? Would you even want a forced love, or would you want it be geniune? That is exactly how it is with God. He gives us a choice to love HIM. He loves us no matter what, and is so willing to accept us back into his arms if we would only go to HIM.
Matthew 23:37 NIV
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
As a parent, you know your child doesn't listen to everything you say even though you have already "been there, done that". You want so badly for them to listen so they don't suffer the consequences of their actions. But can you stop them from doing it? No, they do it any way. And when they do suffer the consequences, it hurts you more than them sometimes. And sometimes they had to suffer those consequences to learn, and hopefully change that destructive behavior. That is exactly how it is for God.
Parents with older children will understand this: When your child is being self-destructive, doing some very bad stuff (like being extremely rude and obnoxious, driving insanely, doing drugs, stealing or robbing people, hurting or even killing people), do you condone that behavior? No. Do you allow it in your house? No. If they are doing severely bad things like this, do you continue to try to have a relationship with them? Of course. But you won't sit on the couch and laugh and have good discussion with them about how fun this bad behavior is. And you won't do it with them either. You hurt for them; it breaks your heart. It breaks God's heart, too, to see us away from HIM and hurting.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
During times like this, you can only hope their heart hears the loving words you continue to tell them when you get the chance: "Please stop doing these things. I don't want you to be hurt". And because your child wants autonomy, they won't listen. You cannot force them. There is nothing you can do but wait, hope and try to keep reminding them how much you love them. That is what God is doing. (The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11- 32)
God is Holy. His place is Holy. To be with HIM, we must be made Holy by HIM.
God's ways are much higher than ours. What is bad to him doesn't seem bad to us. The fact is that science has more than proven that there is more to this world than that which is visible to our human eyes. So we don't know everything, so we don't know all the repercussions of what we do. Additionally, we cannot possibly see any effects our actions have on other people's lives, most of the time. But God can and does.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts
One day, only God knows when, He will turn his face from from the earth. He will no longer provide his light. What will the earth do without his light? He currently holds everything together. He won't always do that.
In addition, some may die before God let's go. Some will die and stay with their choice to NOT be reconciled to HIM.
Those that chose to walk with HIM will go with him; those who chose not to, will not go with HIM. It deeply saddens him, but we made that choice. So, in short, we send ourselves to hell.
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