I have a lot of questions for the universe.
Why do good friends betray confidences?
Road rage: why do people get so angry they will murder a stranger?
Is there apt justice for the wrongs done in this world?
Why does nature inspire awe one moment and terror the next?
Why is love so powerful?
Why do some things live and grow while others die?
Why do evil people escape consequences while innocent people are indicted and sent to prison?
Why are stars so beautiful?
The questions I ask the universe are the gnawing hunger pains of my soul. And, frankly, they demand an answer.
I recently stood in my front yard and stared at the sky as the sun was setting. I was trying to figure out which planet was the really bright one. It popped up first in the Western sky as the sun was going down. So, I did a little research and decided it was probably Venus.
Venus is about 25 million miles from earth, but it doesn’t feel that far away to me. It feels close. I can see a glimmer of it because the sun has scattered its rays through time to reach me here on earth.
The consistency of Venus stimulates my emotions to awe, but the truth of Venus existence is an objective fact. I can see it. We have Hubble Telescope images recorded of it. Its steady re-emergence on the horizon each evening reassures my faltering heart that there is order in the universe. That order inspires within me another kind of wonder that leads me to ask questions about truth.
Truth is absolutely essential to life. Without truth we cannot know what is. Truth is not subjective, it is objective. So, when I say the bible is God’s word breathed out for mankind to know the truth about reality, humanity and God’s relationship to both, I am stating an objective fact. Much the same as when I say Venus is a planet.
My experience of reading the bible is important. Many people criticize the bible but they’ve never actually read it. The Bible has an answer to all the questions I raise up to the universe. So, then the question for me becomes, is everything the Bible says true? And is the text reliable enough to be the template for my life?
Many people have invested their lives researching the truth and authority of the holy scriptures. This is not a blog about that. You can research that more here and here. My question is, if I know it’s true, how does it change the way I live now—today?
Living in submission to the authority of Holy Scripture
Now maybe you are thinking, how does conforming to a bunch of stuffy old rules inoculate me against the hungers of my soul?
I’ll start with the question, “Why is love so powerful?”
And I’ll counter with another, “Is life worth living without it?”
Imagine life without the love of a mother, a father, a brother, or a sister? Imagine all our relatives were emotionless automatons. No hugs. No affection. I really can’t imagine it. Even with all the ways people have loved me poorly, I can’t imagine life without love. And that doesn’t even begin to address the euphoria of romantic love and the joys of making a commitment to another human being to share one’s life with. What a delightful experience.
The bible says we were created to love. Love God. Love our fellow humans. Love the animals he created and the planet. We were made to love and enjoy these things, and in so doing bring God glory. Glory, because the things he made are so wonderful. But we violated that love. We chose instead to glorify ourselves. We thought we knew better than He—the creator of the universe. And its been downhill since then.
God created Venus and God created me. Which is more complex? God created me with a soul and the capacity for love. I live in submission to the authority of scripture when I live my life in such a way that I wholly love him back. When I love God, I won’t murder, or hold grudges or steal or lie or denigrate my parents.
The Bible says this is impossible because of sin. Sin corrupts everything.
Sin?! Are you sane?
Come on, Margaret. Is sin really a problem? I mean, is it even a thing? What’s the big deal? I don’t want to talk about sin because I don’t really think I’m a sinner. Or if I am, I’m not a really terrible one. You know, like my neighbor down the street who doesn’t cut his grass or clean up after his dog. That guy is the worst!
Opposition to the idea of sin is rife in our culture. We used to make light of it, now we simply pretend it doesn’t exist. We have entered an age where anything goes. Therefore, when I hold up the Bible as a guidebook for how to live life, people think I have a screw loose.
But I would like to suggest our world is an increasingly dark place because of sin. Lawlessness abounds. Murders. Tornadoes. Child sex trafficking. Tax fraud. The Bible says these things are the result of sin. And because God is just, there must be punishment for it.
If the Bible is true, I am a sinner. We all are. Whether we like it or not.
The truth about Truth
The reason I am so willing to live in submission to the authority of scripture is because of the great love God has for me. His great provision for sin is His Son, Jesus—who came to earth, lived a sinless life and was then punished FOR my sin on the cross. More importantly, God then raised him from death to life. The real-life testimonies of his disciples tell the stories about his life on earth and their accounts of his resurrection. He asks only that we believe He was who He said He was, ask for His forgiveness for our sin, and then take up our cross and follow Him. That means we must be willing to walk in the same way He walked—in the way of love. It’s much more difficult than it appears but it is wholly worth it. I would say it is the most satisfying experience in my life; obedience to the One who loves me is wonderful.
1 John 5:20- “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
So, there you have it; that is the truth that sets us free from soul hunger. Today, if you are raising questions to the universe, instead, focus your questions to God. Open your ears, your heart and your soul. You may just find yourself supremely satisfied.
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