Lead Us and Guide Us, Lord
The Gift of Inspiration
The Rev. John L. Odhner
I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit within you. (Ezekiel 36:26)
S
ome people have no trouble believing that God is at work in this world.
They see the beauty and order of nature, the waterfall, the sunrise and the
bird in flight. They see the magnificence of the heavens – a hundred billion
galaxies with a hundred billion stars in each. They see the ability of the human
mind to transcend selfishness, show compassion, discover truth and create
beauty. In all of these they see God at work.
Other people wonder whether God is actually at work in this world. They
may see nature as blind and mechanical, operating from chance or necessity,
but without any purpose or intelligence. They may ask: “If God is working in
the universe, where is the evidence? Is there anything that happens anywhere
in the universe that can’t be explained better by science than by the myths of
ancient religions?”
Many Christians will point to the Bible as God’s Word for us. In the Bible
God teaches us what we cannot learn from science. As it is God’s truth, there
is no need to question but only to believe. Now the Lord’s Word truly teaches
us things beyond time and space, beyond the realm of science and physical
sensation. It teaches us of love, compassion, wisdom and justice. It teaches us
of heaven and eternal life. It teaches of the Lord’s struggles against the hells and
His infinite love and mercy. We cannot learn any of these things from science
and nature.
Yes, when we take the Bible on a literal level, without its deeper meaning,
it is dead. Think of someone wearing clothes. As the person runs, works and
dances, the clothes move with the body, flowing gracefully, purposefully.
When the person puts off the clothes, they lie lifeless on the floor or hanger.
As the clothes are to the body, the body is to the soul. While the soul animates
the body, it runs, works and dances; the eyes sparkle, the lungs breathe and
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