Skip to main content

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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Shack- A review of the controversy

Not all things can be taken at face value- sometimes you must dig a bit deeper *** Spoiler alert- I am going to be writing my thoughts about The Shack , by William P. Young. In this review/discussion, some of the details of the book will be revealed. Some may not have read the book, some may not care to. I pray that my discussion will at least pique your curiosity to investigate it for yourself, but I do apologize for any plot revelations. *** Things are not always what they seem. At least that has been my experience in life. As soon as I think I have a situation/person figured out, they shock the daylights out of me. Some things in life are predictable; we know the sun will rise each morning, most of us have our "routine", but there are times when life just surprises. I was given a copy of the book, The Shack  by William P. Young, from a friend at church who told me, "this book has changed my life; you should read it". I took it from her happily, bei...

Eternal Choices

Beautiful Gates- Eternal Hope The story posted below is a true account of the night I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I pray it will minister to you. Allow yourself to get swept into the truth of Heaven, the beauty of Jesus, and the reality that we all must make that decision- what will we experience...Heavens' Gates or Hells' Flames? A Decision Made in Eternity           “Can you even understand what he is saying?”, a fellow student whispered to me. It was the fall of 1997, and we were sitting in a college algebra class listening to a first-generation Chinese professor attempt to holler instructions across the vast auditorium of nearly 150 teenagers. “Um…no…sorry. I can’t make out a word.” I answered back sheepishly. Truth-be-told, I had not been able to grasp one concept he had droned on about in the nearly three-week eternity that was the class so far.           As he continued to r...

Reliability- Marker #2 of Authentic Christianity

God is the most reliable person you will ever know- and we should strive to emulate Him! Constant as the sun, reliable as the moon Lamentations 3:22-24 "The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.The Lord is all I have, and so in Him I put my hope." Who is the most reliable person you know?  By definition, being reliable is equated to being someone people can depend on and trust to stay true to what they say. Without a doubt, Jesus was the most reliable person to ever walk the earth, and He calls us to become more like Him every day. But how do we go about that? The process of growing closer to the Lord, and becoming more "Christ-like" is evolving, and always changing. We are changed, as Scripture stated in 2 Corinthians 3:18 "and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." From glo...