Tonight in the Target parking lot, after I had picked up a few things, a women walked over as I was about to get into my car. She asked if I had any extra money. As a rule, I don't give out cash anymore. Instead, I offer to buy them some food or something. Nine times out of ten they refuse the "help," wanting only the "money," often throwing in a guilt-trip to boot. This time, giving money wasn't even an option. I had none! I'd spent the last of it buying some milk, eggs, and a loaf of bread. I told her this, and said, "It's not much, but I do have some bread if you want some." Surprisingly, she gladly accepted. She introduced herself as "Sue." She was thin and looked like she hadn't had a bath in a while. I said, "Sue, I don't have much to give you. But I wonder if I could pray for you?" My experience in these situations is that people in Sue's situation are eager to pray--often making sure I know that they trust Jesus as their "Lord and Savior." But Sue was different. Her demeanor quickly changed. Her eyes welled up with tears at the same time that he gaunt cheeks tightened. "No, no," she said, backing away. "I don't believe in God. Not anymore, anyway." She went on to give me a 30-second recap of her difficult life. The details came so quickly that I couldn't proces half of what she was saying. But it involved a physically abusive "significant other," them being homeless for three months, him being killed, etc. I gently said, "Sue, I have not had the hardships you have had. I cannot understand your pain. But I will tell you: God does indeed exist, whether you believe that or not. He is good, He is sovereign." "No, not anymore," she interrupted. I said: "But he gave you life and breath, didn't he?" She replied: "But for what? So what?" I tried one more time: "Sue, God does exist. I encourage you to trust him." As she walked away, the bread in her hand and the tears still in her hand, she murmured, "Okay, I do believe that he exists. He exists. I just don't like him very much."
What an utterly honest statement that is. God exists; atheists don't. Scripture tells us that all of us know God; our problem is that we supress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:21; 1:18). Our problem is not lack of evidence for God; it is lack of enjoyment for God. We would rather run the universe.
Job suffered greatly. He lost everything. And he demanded an answer from God. In Job 38-41, Yahweh decides to ask Job a few questions of his own. When God is done, Job has beheld both the sovereign majesty of God and the foolish arrogance of man. Job said: "I lay my hand over my mouth" (Job 40:4). "I have uttered what I did not understand" (Job 42:3).
I wish I had been able to help Sue more. But I will pray tonight for eyes to see and for mercy from Christ the King.
