Words I read this morning from the prophet Elijah to the king seemed to me to be a condemnation of America. The king, sick in bed, sent men to inquire of the false god Baal whether or not he would recover. Elijah confronted the men, and later on the king himself, with these words: "This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal- Zebub, the god of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:16)
As I read, I heard in my mind, “Is there no God in America for you to consult? Why do you rely on exit polls to predict the outcome of the election? Why do you consult statistics and actuarial tables to calculate your security? Why do you rely on piles of money to secure your retirement?”
In a nation where most of us still claim to be Christians, why do we Christians still get so uneasy when other Christians say they have a word from God on a particular subject? Do I really not believe God could or would speak? Do I just feel guilty because I don’t earnestly seek God in prayer whenever I’m worried or need to know the right thing to do?
I look a lot of places for answers. I seek advice from people I don’t know on the Internet. I look to science, even though to date most scientists still get the basic facts about the origin of life wrong. I like seminars and TED talks and National Geographic magazine. I spend more time with all these sources of knowledge than I do with the Bible.
Sometimes I act like there’s no God in America. I don’t believe that. I know God is the same as he ever was. I just tend to go to the same financial planners and insurance advisors and health gurus and talking heads that all the unbelievers rely on for my answers.
God and only God controls my life. Why do I so often ignore the fact that He’s right here?
Your confession is shared by me; I, too, act as if there's no God in my life as I seek truth and answers from unreliable sources. Thanks for helping me to realize this.
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