Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! – Habakkuk 3:17-18
The behavior of many people in this world is somewhat astounding. Everyone knows that there must be some reason that everything exists. It really makes no sense that beautiful flowers, tasty catfish, and elegant gazelles evolved randomly out of nothing. Maybe a chimpanzee typing furiously on a typewriter eventually – after millions of years – could inadvertently compose Romeo and Juliet, but who would have created the chimpanzee and fed him bananas as he typed? I ask, ‘Wherefore art thou Chimp?’ (Recall, ‘wherefore art thou?’ doesn’t mean ‘where are you?’, it means ‘why are you?’ – Juliet was asking why Romeo is a Montague and therefore of the wrong sort of family.)
Why are there gazelles? giraffes? humans? feuding Montagues and Capulets? Without a Creator, it makes no sense. Everyone knows that there is a reason. Science has taught us that stuff exists in logical, interconnected relationships. There is order. Science couldn’t function if these relationships were unstable. The world and universe are not filled with rogue molecules that just happen to be organized sometimes.
Everyone knows that there must be a reason for stuff. Those who deny a specific reason cannot deny that there is some reason. In exploring the meaning of life, philosophers acknowledge logic and governing principles – without which the question of life’s meaning would be absurd. The behavior of many people is somewhat astounding. They walk, talk, act, dance, sing, and otherwise conduct themselves like there is no magnificent Creator who grants life and provides sustenance. They are like foolish teenagers who are fed, clothed, and given shelter and yet pretend that their parents are unnecessary parts of their existence. This is sad and difficult to explain. Difficult to explain, unless you acknowledge the doctrine of sin.
Foolish teenagers ought to occasionally thank mom and dad. They ought to at least acknowledge their parents and honor what has been done to care and provide for them. Truly, they ought to honor their mother and father, but, alas, they often don’t. This is sad and somewhat astounding. It is a violation of good, common sense. Such is the nature of sin – it violates what some call natural law and it certainly violates God’s law. Sin always does this. In a sinful world, people do astounding things.
It is somewhat astounding that many Christians do not prioritize worshiping God. Those who acknowledge the Creator ought to worship Him. In a sinful world, worship is undervalued. While many Christians gather weekly in corporate worship, many ignore praising God daily. As a community, let us promote daily, household worship. Remind each other to worship, today.
God calls us to set aside one day in seven to rest in Him. The church reinforces this command by calling you to corporate worship. God’s Word and everything around us makes it clear that we are to worship Him daily, throughout the day. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. – Psalm 71:8.
As you prepare for Lord’s Day worship, would you pray that the Holy Spirit convicts you to honor your Father in heaven every day? Pray for the households of Indianola to worship Him daily. Begin today with a simple ‘thank you’ to your Lord and Savior, the one who died so that you may live. Thank your Creator. To do otherwise would be somewhat astounding. Let your sin do what it ought to do: astound you in its foolishness. Let’s worship together and learn to worship in our homes, daily. The Commmunity-wide Hour of Worship this Sunday at 6pm is a good place to glorify and enjoy God – the reason that we exist.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them – Acts 16:25.
