Devotional Thought: Deism

Deism : belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe. (g)

So many are of this belief. They wonder, how is it that God is involved, if all these evils are happening all around? How is it that, God--who is supposedly love watching those under His care suffer? In fact, months ago, an acquaintance asked, 'don't you get angry at God's injustice: watching the poor become more poorer, the good die, while silent on the evil deeds?"(par.)

Many enquire as they watch horrible scenes unfold daily.

Things no longer remain the same.
Each year gets worse than the previous.
Perilous scenes unfold and perhaps there's a deeper appreciation of life-since death has become a commoner than a stranger


Today, I don't seek to answer that question point to point, as it would take a study to get there.

But here's a submission that has comforted me today:

The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy intelligences, all waiting to do His will. Through channels which we cannot discern He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. But it is in this speck of a world, in the souls that He gave His only-begotten Son to save, that His interest and the interest of all heaven is centered. God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, “Here am I.” He uplifts the distressed and downtrodden. In all our afflictions He is afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the angel of His presence is near to deliver.-DA,p.356

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.~Acts 17:24-28

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.~1 John 4:9,10

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.~John 15:13

God loves you individually:

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.-Jeremiah 31:3 (paraphrased)

Image Source

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http://justicemusings.blogspot.co.za/2011/02/gods-good-creation_07.html (

You are loved by God

Sometimes,we get so obsessed about the do's that encompass the Christian life such that we lose sight of God.Even in this day and age,it is easy to focus more on God's law while removing the Law giver-God.I have come to the realization that I can only appreciate the law of God only as I know Him personally. There needs to be an appreciation and love for God first,then as we continue to love Him,His love constrains us to obey Him.

In the book Steps to Christ, we are told that a religion that does not come from the heart is dry formality.As I continue to walk this journey with God,I realize how important it is to appreciate Him.To take time daily,to reflect on His goodness and proceed to thank Him.In fact,it is the beautiful experiences I have had with God that help me to go through trials because I know Him personally-that all He does is driven by love.These experiences do not necessarily come in big events but in the little things.If we can not recognise God in the "smallest" events,how can we,in the bigger ones? I often reflect on how He always has my back and I can only serve Him with joyfulness.

Just to digress a bit,one of the modules I'm doing is Child and Human Development Psychology.Today we covered the prenatal development i.e development of the child from conception to birth. And I sat in that lecture praising God :).I was just amazed at how the child develops from a zygote,to an embryo to become a fetus.And to think that I was once a zygote in my mother's womb and how God has just protected me up until now humbles me.I also realise how sensitive pregnancy is,how the mother must be in the right environment which is good for emotional and physical well-being.It's a mystery-not a mystery but really God's righteous hand that keeps children from harm even if their mothers live carelessly.

My point is God loves us!And I came across this beautiful message that has comforted me and made me blush for much longer than I normally do when I think of God's love.How I pray it may bless you and remind you how much precious you are in God's love.

"All that was needed for existence would have been yours without the flowers and birds,but God was not content to provide what would suffice for mere existence.He has filled the earth and air and sky with glimpses of beauty to tell you of His loving thought for you.The beauty of all created things is but a gleam from the shining of His glory.If He has lavished such infinite skill upon the things of nature,for your happiness and joy,can you doubt that He will give you every needed blessing."-The Mount of Blessing,p108,par.2

(flowers taken by me,November 2015.I used to just marvel at how beautiful they are and this statement reminds me of them)

WHAT MANNER OF LOVE IS THIS?

"The spotless Son of God hung upon the cross,His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing,nailedvto the wooden bars; spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips,shaped to the crown of woe.And all that He endured-the blood drops that flowed from His head,His hands,His feet,the agony that racked His frame,and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father's face-speaks to each child of humanity,declaring,It is thee that the Son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt; for thee He spoils the domain of death,and opens the gates of Paradise.He who stilled the angry waves and walked in the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble and disease flee,who opened blind eyes and called forth the dead to life,-offers Himself upon the cross as a sacrifice,AND THIS FROM LOVE TO THEE.He,the Sin Bearer,endures the wrath of divine justice,and for thy sake becomes sin itself"-The Desire of Ages,pp755-756

Bruised,insulted,mocked,hated,beaten,slapped,rejected,crucified JUST FOR ME!

The plan of salvation:through the typology of the human body

The human body is really fascinating and everytime I think of it I see God's greatness in a way I cannot even explain.I just get emotional-through the functioning of the human body I realize I am loved and my existence could never be accidental and a result of a bing bang.

What fascinates me about the human body is the fact that is  operated through feedback systems :negative and positive.These are systems that maintain haemostasis in the body.In simpler terms it just makes sure that everything is within its normal range so that harm is not done.

Just to make an example:If your blood sugar level is too high this will be detected and your blood sugar levels will be lowered,and vice versa so that it's in equilibrium within the normal blood sugar level range:3.9-6.1mmol/L or 70-110mg/dL.Same goes for your temperature etc.This is within the internal system.

This is also so for the external environment.For example,when the skin is wounded,the are certain phases that occur to revert the skin back to its normal function and structure.These phases include:Blood Clotting(haemostasis),inflamation,proliferation and remodelling and by the end the wound is only a paler scar.

This is what God seeks to do in each person's life.He wants to restore His perfect image in us.The one we were created with (Genesis 1:26).When sin entered it not only ruined/deformed the image of God in mankind but it also seperated mankind from God,hence Adam and Eve hid themselves.But like a body is restored to its normal functioning,God does the same for mankind.

God gave up His Son,Jesus,to die for us so that through his death and victories we may be able overcome to sin and return back to our sinless state.But in this case,mankind must CHOOSE whether he wants to be restored to His initial state and it is ONLY through Jesus's death that mankind can be restored.Acceptance of this gift means the person receives the gift of eternal life.

Then the holy Spirit is like the feedbacks which bring the body to haemostasis.He brings about repentance and acceptance of this offer.After the offer has been accepted,He helps the individual to return to his sinless state by teaching him what God's will is,convicting him of his sin and constantly leading the individual to new truths.This is that the individual may finally reach God's ideal and have eternal life. 

Indeed,nature testifies of God's love!