Paul’s Blog: Not All About Rabbits

I am no better person than anyone else in the world…I used to think so but now I know that whatever I have is from God, and anything good I have is from him.

I always believed there was A God… Just not the God that anyone would describe.

Looking back I think that it is funny that one hand I rejected anything people told me, but I held out the belief that there must be some sort of creator…

It never hit me that if there is something out there so powerful that can create everything, then I should make an effort to investigate, or even consider the security of beleiving in something so powerful, knowing nothing about it, and ignoring it.

This was even as I called myself an atheist, I said to myself ‘there is a God’…Knowing the definition of a God…All powerful and all knowing, but the two facts never joined up in my mind - that there is a god and that god knows everything and made everything, and can do anything.

How could I move closer to knowing god or make the effort to find out about god? I couldn’t because I was too ignorant, but God made himself known to me, and then I started to learn more about God - About his mercy and love.

my experience reminds me of what St. Paul said in Acts ch 17: Verse 23

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

you can read the complete speech online, here: (it is fairly short and worth reading)

Verse 26: saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Verse 27: Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

‘Diligently listen to the voice of the LORD’. Perhaps he would have more to say to me if I diligently listened. And to do right in his eyes, because he sees everything I do. I dont know how relevant the Egyptian thing is but probably best to avoid that considering the context of the verse. ‘I am the LORD, your healer’ Praise God!

I think it is interesting that God provided 12 springs of water. There were 12 tribes of Israel right? So that would help prevent fighting over water and that sort of thing.

Also you can see God testing them by saying that, in verse 25 and then in 16:4 where he gives them bread from heaven for them but says only to gather enough for one day each time, to test them to see if they will obey and walk in his law. This is before he gives them ‘The Law’ in chapter 20 onwards. Even in chapter 20, verse 20: ‘Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you,that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin” ‘

Any thoughts? Comments welcome.

-Paul

(Clipart from Clipartheaven.com)