Michelle, how do you know God is real?

Hmmmmmm.

It’s funny how often this question is asked.

And its just as funny how sparsely I am asked, “how do you know the devil is real?”

Come to think of it, I can’t remember ever being asked this question. 

I find it interesting that people are more willing to believe that the devil is real, than they are God.

I know God is real because there have been moments in my life that have confirmed His realness to me, and I believe that these confirmations are the result of my desire for Him. Nothing was forced, I was willing.

It takes humility to believe in something (or someone) bigger than you, and it takes faith to believe in that which is not seen. By faith you breathe in air (that is unseen) every second. You hope that when you breathe in, your body receives the oxygen it needs…and the evidence of this is that you have not suffocated. You do not question it, because that’s what you know to do. When you are in a tight space or under water, your body clamours for air because it needs it. In this same way, I desired more, and the more that I desired I could not find anywhere else but in the pages of my Bible.

I was not born with faith. I grew in faith. Like a muscle, my faith has had times under tension to foster development, and improve strength.  I have faced challenges at every stage in my faith walk, but I have also experienced God in new and greater ways.  A newbie athlete is not given a grade 10 obstacle course, because his endurance is not at that level. A swimming coach would not throw a beginner swimmer into the ocean, because that person is likely to drown. An airline would not give a plane with 1 passenger, let alone 200 to a toddler to fly because well…ring the alarm! In all three scenarios, the possibilities are endless, but there is a growing process, which requires willingness, endurance, time and faith (both in yourself and the coach). What I am trying to say is, you cannot have a revelation of or grow in God if you have a heart of stone. 

There is a dichotomy to just about everything. Water and Oil, Happy and Sad, Black and White, Simple and Complex, Salt and Sugar, Young and Old, Light and Darkness, Yes and No, Truth and Lie, Real and Fake, Night and Day, Boy and Girl, Good and Bad, Cheap and Expensive, Life and Death and so on.

People often question Gods existence because they attribute the issues/problems/evils of this world to Him. The popular question is, If there is a God why is this and that happening? I think about it this way. When a landlord rents to a tenant, a contract is signed, and the keys are handed over. If the tenant decides to turn the crib upside down, he/she deals with the consequences, i.e. forfeiting the security deposit or in extreme cases, being sued for much more. In the same way, we are custodians of this earth and we have free will….choice. The state of the world is not God’s fault. It’s ours. The evils of the world does not negate His sovereignty. It only shows how much we need Him. God is neither a brute nor a tout. He will not force himself into the heart of anyone that is not willing, but He’ll give ample opportunities for it.

I have witnessed miracles first hand. Mind-blowing ones, and seemingly small ones. God is real to me because I have experienced Him in big and small ways. By flipping the pages of my bible, during intimate moments in my prayer closet, life events, a timely word, daily interactions, listening to sermons and testimonies, even in watching the seasons change, and seeing new life come to bare. I see God in science, in the creativity of man, because when I was first introduced to Him in Genesis, He was creating something out of nothing. I see God in children, how free of fear they are, how easy they forgive and how full of hope and love they are. I see God in people who choose to live their lives poured out for the betterment of others. I see God in a smile or a hug, in a pat on the back or encouraging words from a stranger. I see God in a present shoulder to lean on. I see God everywhere, in the details of life, even in lack, pain and chaos, because I choose to.

God is real, but how real He is to you is solely up to you.

Everyone worships something. I choose God. 

The [spiritually ignorant] fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.”

|Psalm 14:1, AMP|

Happy MonYay 💋

xoxo

  image: @ pinterest