But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

How Do You View God?

C. S. Lewis suggested many people have an erroneous view about God: “We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it is there for emergencies, but he hopes he’ll never have to use it.” This view is widely held by those who believe in God but are unwilling to commit to him. As long as life remains on an even keel, God is a good thing to think about occasionally and to offer a few thank-you prayers, but getting serious about a relationship with him is out of the question. Life is about the here and now, and how much can be gleaned from the harvest of prosperity in the world. Young people aim to get a good job and work long enough to retire and enjoy the finer things of life without regard to anything beyond. Life becomes a daily grind of squeezing out as much gusto as life offers.

The central issue with the human mind is to dispose of God until and unless He is needed. There is an oriental proverb that suggests that once on shore, pray no more. The need for God is only when one is in a foxhole or adrift on the ocean facing death. Once the immediate situation has passed, God is no longer needed. He becomes, in effect, only a safety net in case of a fall. Until that time, life continues on full speed ahead. The Bible is a tabletop ornament, dusted by the passage of time and opened only in times of crisis. God is a vending machine that awaits the demands of the one who drops a quarter in the slot, seeking what they want from the Creator. It is a selfish world seeking only the needs of a selfish heart.

If there is an image of God that is foreign to truth, treating the Lord God Almighty like a parachute in case of emergency is the most erroneous and foolish belief known to man. When men package God as a wrapped bundle of silk, they make the fundamental mistake of human wisdom – they believe they can wrap God up in a package. God is the Sovereign Creator of the world, demanding respect, honor, and loyalty. If a man faces a crisis seeking God as his parachute, he will fall to his death because God will not be treated as a fool. The Lord does not come to the rescue of those who refuse to submit, obey, and follow His will. This requires a daily allegiance to the commandments of the Lord, who, by His grace, offers the world a way of escape.

It does not matter what men think of God, but it does matter what God knows about man. He knows those who love Him and obey Him. The Bible is not a book of suggestions. God will not be treated as a fool. God is full of love to those who seek Him. It requires the full measure of dedication to God without treating the Lord as a convenience when needed. God expects His children to love Him with all their hearts, souls, and minds. How a person views God determines how he responds to the word of God. The only place God can be is first place in everything. He will not accept anything less.