“Look mummy, no hands!” Was my son’s shout as, with hands raised high, he raced down the road on his bike! I was aghast! Heart in my throat I hoped that he would manage to stay on the bike and not slam into the curb or worse a tree.
That no-hands feat is repeated now with even more impressive results as we say things like, “Alexa, turn the lights on in the dining room.” “Alexa, pour 1 pint of water into the pot.” Or without speaking we press the send button on our tablet or PC and in another room a printer responds and produces the exact document that we have on our PC. No hands, no wires!
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”” Luke 18: 8. This is the question that Jesus asked and it remains a perplexing question for us in this modern world. The Pew research states that less and less people are going to church, fewer people read the Bible, and that there is a rising number of people in our world called “Nones”— people who may believe in God but are biblically illiterate and have no desire for religious connections.
What makes it possible for us to rely on Alexa, an ethereal voice in a box, to start our coffee in the morning, play music to match our mood, and keep us safe at night by locking our doors? Alexa, meaning “defender of mankind”, has never possessed a body, never been seen by anyone, never been vetted for moral principles, but has been given the onerous responsibility of keeping our passwords, protecting our homes, and caring for our loved ones. Amazing trust!
After the flood recorded in Genesis 7, God promised Noah and his family that He would never again cause a similar catastrophe and that He would seal that agreement with a rainbow in the sky.
“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13.
Man, however, became leery of such an arrangement and decided to defend himself by building ziggurats that would extend way into the sky beyond the reach of any possible flood waters. Archaeologists explore those remains today.
It’s a choice we make, isn’t it? Like the post-diluvians, we prefer to rely on our own solutions or “defender”. We scant would believe in God because we cannot see Him and such faith seems gullible, naive, or plainly silly. But we confidently place our safety, happiness, and comfort in a voice of our making!
You might respond, “I know Alexa is there because she (or he) responds promptly, does my bidding, and never asks why. What can you say for God?”
Well, over two thousand years ago, He (or She) promised the post-diluvians that He would come to earth as Immanuel, “God with us”. He repeated this promise frequently through such historically credible people as King Cyrus, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah.
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end,” Isaiah 9: 6,7.
At the time predicted, He did arrive and is recorded in history as a person called Jesus Christ who proclaimed himself the Messiah and performed works that exceeded anything that others had or have done. He completed His work on earth when He endured His predicted act of dying an excruciating death on a Roman cross. He achieved the act of resurrection, as recorded by hundreds of witnesses.
Before leaving this earth he promised to return with a spectacular display of power and glory but that certain catastrophes would precede:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24: 6-8.
Today we are confounded by world-wide epidemics and particularly by Covid-19 that brought our whole planet to a halt. We are distressed by our world climate gone awry, causing earthquakes, floods, droughts, in proportions not seen before. To counter these disasters, God has promised to replace this ruined earth with a new one.
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:10. What of that Alexa?
Man’s explorations have taken us from ziggurats to missiles that pierce the skies in search of the mysteries of creation. With these discoveries, we have produced astounding inventions. But at crunch time, can our ziggurats and Alexas defend us against core issues of loneliness, pain, and death? Does the answer lie beyond the creation with the Creator?
Will there be faith? Several hundred years ago one leader answered that question by saying, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15.
I think I am going to place my faith there as well. Alexa, will you join me?
Today’s Goal: To let our trust in human innovations, inspire us to even greater faith in God.
A Wilderness Guidebook . . . 