GOD'S LOVE AND GOD'S WAYS

Do you know what is happening in the world? There are lots of things that happen in the world. There is a serious disorder in the world today. There is war like in Israel and Hamas. There is poverty like people in the Philippines particularly in the streets of Manila. There is starvation in different parts of the world. One would find many poor people even in rich countries. There is murder, particularly despicable is abortion, resulting in the killing of millions of unborn children. There is social injustice.

On a personal level, there is loneliness, depression, fear, insecurity, mistrust and so on. Everyone agrees that something major is needed to correct the situation in the world. Man has made various efforts to improve the world, but their efforts are not succeeding. Let us take for example in the field of medicine, through the ultrasound technique; we can discover the sex of a child before it is born. But some people decide to kill the unborn child if found defective, or if it is not the desired sex. In the field of food production, we have learned better and more productive ways of increasing the yield of the land. However, millions of people are still dying of malnutrition and starvation. The Human race has not learned to share God’s provision with their less fortunate members.

Some even propose solutions through man-made religions and other ideologies just like Marxism or New Age. Man is not succeeding because all these efforts are based on man’s wisdom. What is needed is God’s wisdom and ways. “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Is 55: 8-9)”

We then asked ourselves, what is the way of God? Does God have a plan for bringing us out of our confusion and disorder? YES! The starting point for understanding God’s plan is found in the story of creation in Genesis. What God creates is good (Gen 1:31). The confusion and disorder is not in accordance with the plan of God. God created man in His image (Gen 1:27). The ugliness and sin in the lives of people today are not in accordance with God’s will. Man is meant for friendship with God (Gen 2:8-9). The disruption in our relationship with God is our doing, and is not as God intends. However, things did not turn out according to God’s plan. Original sin entered the picture. And from then, man continued to turn against God and God did not abandon man even if God punished man (Gem 3:21, 15; Gen 4:15; Gen 6ff; Gen 11:1-9; and Gen 12).

From the accounts cited above, we will see how God loves the human race, how God would not leave man alone to his fate. God is neither indifferent nor distant. God is someone who loves us and is interested in having a personal relationship with us. He is interested in the details of our daily lives (Is 48:17, Jer 29:11). In fact, God wants to bring us all back to Himself, to restore our fellowship and intimacy with him (Eph 1: 9-10).

This is God’s plan! It is an expression of His love. God does not want us to live lives of pain, poverty, and injustice. God wants the world to be a place of peace, justice and happiness. A place in which He would reign!

The question then we need to ask, how can God’s plan happen? When we look at the world around us, it seems impossible. Again, we need to turn to God’s wisdom. We need God’s point of view. What does God say about life’s realities? The Bible tells us about the reality of Satan (Eph 6:12). We are not just confronted with particular wrongs in society or in ourselves. Behind all these is something bigger. Satan is orchestrating these evils. On our own, we cannot overcome Satan. God also says that our human efforts apart from Him will prove useless (John 15:5). On our own strength, we cannot overcome the challenges in our Christian life.

What is then the solution? JESUS CHRIST! Christ is the answer. He is the vine from which we draw life, strength and power. In fact, Christ is the fullness of God’s love (Jn 3:16). Thus, in Jesus we experience the love of God. And in Jesus, God’s plan for restoration can begin to happen.

It is clear that God loves us. God sent Jesus His own Son. In Jesus we are saved and restored to our relationship with God, with the fullness of life He intended. So God has done His part. It is now our move. The choice is ours: to live under the dominion of darkness, a life of slavery under Satan, or to live in the kingdom of God, a life of freedom, dignity, peace, and happiness. Let us accept Jesus and the salvation that he brings. Let us begin to truly experience God’s love.