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Why cry out to a God you don't believe in?

GOD! SAVE ME!!!


prayer, unbelief, god
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before you were born, I knew you..."
He is the God you can believe in

Why is God the last one we turn to? Worse still, why is it that some only turn to Him when they are at the end of their rope?

 This is a question that has been plaguing me ever since I was flipping through channels the other day, and came across a marathon of the Back to the Future movies. They were playing all three back to back. I happened to come in during the middle of the second movie. 
SPOILER ALERT- in case you have not seen these movies. 


 We see that Marty and the Doc have arrived back in 1985 to find an alternate reality; one created by their time travel fiasco's. They find the new Hill Valley, or hell as they will come to find out. Marty has just learned that his father was killed many years earlier, and he goes to the cemetery to find the tombstone. When he stumbles upon it, he falls to his knees and begins to cry out "No God! Please God...NO!" However, we are not given any indication that his character has a relationship with the God he is crying out to.

 This would be a terrible thing for anyone, fictional or not. An alternate reality, and one in which you learn that those you love have suffered greatly. But what is it that makes a person cry out to God in these moments? People who do not know Him otherwise. People who may have heard of Him...may have been raised to believe in Him but turned away...People who have chosen to reject Him- until the worst happens.

 There is another instance I have recently heard that references a similar situation. A popular song on secular radio, Breakeven by The Script, contains the following line "I just prayed to a God that I don't believe in." The person in the song is expressing how he has gone to every length to rid himself of the hurt and desire he still feels for someone who left him. He doesn't believe in God...but he is going to give it a shot, because he has tried everything else?

 I believe there exists, ingrained in all creation, an innate desire to cry out to the creator. We can run as far as we want, and we can argue till our minds go blank that there is no God. But when it all comes down to brass tacks- who do we call on? We cry out - GOD!! SAVE ME!!

 What happens in the last moments of any tragic situation? A plane that is crashing? A hostage situation? An assault or worse? In those moments, when people stand on the brink of eternity- there is a realization. If they did not know Christ...they missed it. And instinctively- they cry out to their creator- GOD!! SAVE ME!!

 What about in the normal ups and downs of life? The unpaid bills? The terrifying diagnosis? The failed marriage? The wayward child? The loss of a job/lack of direction in life? Again- those who do not know where else to turn- turn to God. They cry out to Him- GOD!! SAVE ME!!

 God is not the bringer of chaos. He does not intentionally destroy people's lives just to get their attention (James 1:13). However, I do know that God will use ALL things to show Himself, and to redeem a lost soul, or even bring back into fellowship one of His children. He is seeking to draw all men to Himself. His desire is that none should perish, but that all come to everlasting life (2 Peter 3:9). 

 Why should we not get to know this God we cry out in times of trouble- when we are not in trouble? It sure would make the troublesome times seem more bearable with the assurance to call to Him in faith, knowing He will answer (Matt 11:28). 

 I challenge you tonight- seek to know Him. Do you have questions? Look for answers. Most who have sought to disprove the claims of Christ often wind up kneeling at the foot of the cross; seeking forgiveness from the very one they fought to destroy. There is more evidence to support what Jesus did, and who He was, then there is to refute it. God promises us- if we seek Him in truth, He will not hide Himself from us (John 6:37).
Jesus- let us seek you while you may be found. Let us find our hope and reassurance in You alone. We need you for everything. Every moment of our lives belongs to You. I pray that we would not reserve our hearts cry for moments of adversity, but that every moment would be one worthy of praise and adoration, and of  seeking you for supply. I pray that Your will would be done and Your kingdom would come in our hearts and lives. Let us always be lights that shine the glory of Your kingdom to all creation...showing them there is, in fact, a God they can believe in --- Amen
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