It has been a burning question for centuries. Scholars and theologists have researched and debated endlessly. It has been the topic of countless movies, books, and even songs.
How do we know God exists?
It is not too difficult to see why people doubt if you just look at the world around us today. Luckily, there is proof all around.
Miracles
This is a term that gets thrown around pretty loosely at times. We say it’s a miracle that we made it to work on time after sleeping in. It is a miracle that our phone bill is surprisingly lower than expected. The word miracle seems to have lost some of its meaning compared to the miracles of Jesus’ time.
We get so caught up in our daily struggles that we make God small. We settle for mundane “miracles”, never expecting God to really show up for us. We fail to expect Him to change water to wine when all we think we need is a green light and no traffic. Who expects loaves and fish when we just want a quicker line at the grocery store?
I am living proof, though, that He is still showing up for us.
Four years ago, I was in a car accident. I was rear-ended by a woman who was not paying attention. My car was totaled, and, according to the police officer, I should have been totaled as well. My car ended up backwards in a ditch, but I walked away with no major injuries. The frame of my car was so badly distorted that it had to be cut into in order to tow it away, but I somehow got out on my own.
I will never forget hearing the police officer tell me that there is no way I should have been able to get out. I should have been trapped in the wreckage. I should have had broken bones or cuts from my seat belt, but I had nothing.
I will also never forget the voice that told me to take my foot off the brake just an instant before the collision, which I was later told saved me from a much more harsh impact. Most of all, I will never forget the fact that all of this happened on the anniversary of the day my father was killed in a car accident.
From that day on, I have never had a doubt in my mind that God is real. Heaven is real. Miracles happen. I am here because miracles happen.
Joy
I admit, I cry every single time I watch the news. There is so much hurt in the world right now. More accurately, so much hate. It is overwhelming and disheartening.
How, then, do people still manage to find so much joy? I don’t mean temporary happiness. Happiness is easy to find, but it is fleeting. I am talking about deep down, unexplainable, all-consuming joy.
Isaiah 26:3 tells us that in the day of judgement, everyone will sing “You keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
As Christians, we can know that this world is not all there is. This world, with all of its hatred, war, and politics, is not our home. In the midst of hurt and disaster and, dare I mention…politics, we can truly have peace, for we know that something so much better is coming.
Nature
Our world is amazing.
Not only is it full of beauty, but it is perfectly planned. Scripture tells us that He knows and cares about every single animal. Each was created so that a natural food chain could be fulfilled, each animal serving an inherent purpose (although I will be the first to admit that I question the purpose of cockroaches and mosquitoes!)
Trees give us air. Water is ultimately our life source. We literally have nutrient-rich foods that come out of the ground in the forms of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Every plant, animal, and land formation was put here for a purpose so that each can live and exist in perfect harmony.
Genesis tells us in the story of creation that after God made the earth, He said that it was very good. He was proud of His work. Our world is undeniably full of hurt right now, but when you look at nature, it is easy to see God at work. This world is no accident.
Suffering
You read that right. Suffering itself is proof not only that God exists, but that He loves us.
That’s a tough truth to handle.
In the beginning, there was no suffering. We were not created for suffering. Man was created to live in abundance. There was a stipulation, though. Adam and Eve were given a world of perfect paradise, with one rule. Just one! They were given one rule, and warned of the consequences.
Our suffering is a result of that consequence. Suffering is a result of us being a flawed and fallen race. It is a fulfillment of a consequence we were promised in the very beginning.
He doesn’t just leave us there, though. We do not have a God of punishment and spite, but one of love. Even in our suffering, He is working for our good. Suffering serves so many purposes. He uses it to bring out the good; to bring us closer to Him.
There is a quote attributed to Mr. Rogers that circulates after every horrible event. It says that whenever something bad happens, look for the helpers. God uses suffering to inspire the good in people. People go above and beyond for others