The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"The Obvious and the Absurd"
Materialists believe the universe is not creation, but rather coincidence, a twist of fate whereby completely undirected natural forces happened to result in all that exists, or ever will exist.
In discussing this with my wife Frances, I commented, "Such a notion involves willful rejection of the obvious." She responded, "Yes, and also willful acceptance of absurdity." The sequence of our remarks unintentionally reflected the reality of God's revelation and human response.
"The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:20).
From the moment of conception and forevermore, human beings live in a creation that incessantly thunders and whispers the reality of the Creator. Indeed, the most continually prevalent communication to our hearts and minds does not sound from human sources, but rather from the Divine. Every atom in the universe serves as the sounding board that reflects and directs the eternally declared "I AM!" from the living and true God. To disbelieve the Voice involves the aforementioned willful rejection of the obvious, which then leads to woeful acceptance of the absurd. "Clearly seen!" declares the Apostle Paul of the Holy Spirit's ongoing revelation that creation is decidedly not coincidence. "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3).
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard" (Psalm 19:1-3).
The natural tendency of all Adam's race involves the disposition to reject the obvious, resulting in the acceptance of the absurd. "There is none that seeketh after God" (Romans 3:11). Thus, He seeks us by the sounding and resounding Voice that calls us from our embrace of the absurd unto faith in the obvious. "O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart" (Proverbs 5:8). Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ begins our deliverance from darkness unto light as we respond to the Spirit's revelation that God's creative fiat ultimately resulted in the construction of a redeeming cross. Indeed, had our Lord never spoken the universe into existence, He never would have suffered and died in forsakenness. Moreover, had we never rejected the obvious - which includes all of us - never would have been so prone to accept the absurd. Ever after we trust the Lord Jesus, the tendency remains in our flesh, meaning we must ever be on guard to respond to the obvious and reject the absurd. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit" (Galatians 5:17).
We do well to conduct ongoing discourse with our Heavenly Father. "Show me, Father, if any beliefs, thoughts, or notions of my heart and mind reveal I have rejected the obvious and accepted the absurd." This involves our perceptions of Him, of people, of the world, of all things in our lives. Even for godly believers in the Lord Jesus, the fleshly tendency to accommodate the absurd by failure to embrace the obvious can lead us far astray from the light of God's truth and reality. King David well knew how easily he could divert from the path of sanity unto the byway of vanity. He prayed accordingly, and we do well to join him…
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Psalm 139:23-24)
Weekly Memory Verse
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Psalm 139:23-24)
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