The book of Isaiah chapter 40 says a lot about God’s power and manifestations. I have often heard people say that if indeed there is a God who is as powerful as Christians claim, why then is evil everywhere? Why are innocent children killed? Why are there so many illnesses and diseases? Why do bad people prosper while the so-called righteous keep getting poorer and poorer? Why are there disasters all over the world?
If there is a God, why can’t He destroy the wicked so that wickedness will end? What kind of God will see a two-year-old child, or even younger, raped to death by an adult and not instantly strike such a person dead? What type of powerful God will watch leaders of nations live lavishly on resources meant for the whole nation while malnutrition and diseases kill the younger population? What God will see so-called pastors and religious leaders desecrate the altar, rape young girls and boys, sleep with married women, and not strike them down instantly as we read about Ananias and Sapphira in the Bible?
So many questions begging for answers, and because the answers are not forthcoming, many people have concluded that there is no God, or that He is powerless and unable to control the universe and the people He created. Some have even concluded that there is nothing like a Creator at all, that everything just came into existence on its own.
This morning, I can clearly tell you without mincing words that I do not have answers to all the numerous questions you are asking. I am not going to deny the realities you have outlined. But one thing I will tell you loud and clear is what I know about my own GOD, the ALMIGHTY, the Creator of heaven and earth and all that is therein.
You see, we know there is a God who is in control of all things. The extent to which you allow Him into your life is the extent to which you will experience His power and awesomeness. I have experienced God so much that no one can convince me that He is not the Almighty or that He is not in control. Isaiah 9:6. This my God can do all things, and whatsoever He does shall be forever (Ecclesiastes 3:14). When God works, it is perfect; there is nothing you can add to it or take away from it.
Sometimes our problem is the way we see things. The way God sees things is far, far different from the way we see them, and therefore the way we expect Him to respond is different from the way He actually responds. In such situations, people conclude that God is not powerful. But because He sees all things and knows all things, the way He moves will definitely differ from the reaction of a man who cannot see beyond his nose and does not know what lies ahead.
Because God is the Almighty, He never faints. He is not lacking in strength. He is not weak. He is not inclined to fail. He is never lacking in courage, spirit, or energy. There are countless adjectives to qualify God, yet none can fully describe Him. You cannot search out His power. Intelligence agencies tell you to study your enemy, both strengths and weaknesses, so you know where to attack. But if you try searching for God’s weakness, you will die searching because it does not exist. There is no record of it, and you cannot find it out.
God is always at hand and afar off (Jeremiah 23:23). You cannot confine Him to one place. He is omnipresent, everywhere at the same time. Always available, always ready, always willing. If you sincerely call upon Him, He will answer you. But if your plan is only to use Him to satisfy your selfish desires, He will not answer you. That is why many continue doubting His existence and power.
He is the true God, the living God, and there is none that can be compared unto Him (Jeremiah 10:10). However, He is not a God of groups. He does not have grandchildren. He is a God who relates on an individual basis. There is a limit to how far your parents’ relationship with God can carry you. Your relationship with Him must be personal.
The fact that He said in Psalms 91:7–8: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee…” does not automatically apply to you because you attend church or sing in the choir. What relationship do you truly have with Him? Is your whole life under His control, or only part of it? What is your first point of call when challenges arise or when you need to make decisions? At what level have you placed His Word in your life? Do you only call upon Him when all else has failed?
If you place me, an ordinary human being without any special power, behind others and expect me to always be at your beck and call, you will waste your time because I will not respond to you, even if I had the power to help. God will not share His glory with anyone. He would rather stay out if He sees that you still have other gods or alternatives you trust in. You cannot mix God with anything else and expect Him to answer you. You cannot serve God and mammon.
If you will completely trust in Him and hold on to Him, He is ready to be with you always (Matthew 1:23). There is absolutely nothing impossible with God (Matthew 19:26).
You need to understand that He sees all things and can reveal secrets to you. He can direct you to take a route that seems farther away from your destination because He sees the obstacles and traps hidden in the path that appears right to you (Daniel 2:28).
So before you join others in condemning God or saying there is no God or that He is not love, why not give Him a chance? Why not approach Him today and give Him your whole heart, then observe whether He will not manifest His power in your life? You have no right to condemn Him when you have not truly tried Him. You have no moral justification to criticize or denounce God when you have not allowed Him the opportunity to reveal Himself to you.
It is well.