Week 29: How can I know that God is real?
Many people today either doubt or outright deny that God exists. They only believe in what they can see and touch. Have you ever wondered if our invisible God is real? Well, the First Commandment reminds us that there is only one true God, and He deserves our complete and total loyalty. As a matter of fact, He commands it! Let’s take a look at how God reminded the Israelites that He is real.
Be ready to read the following passages:
Let’s start it.
What do you have to be reminded of most often? Why do you think you’re forgetful about that particular thing?
Let’s learn it.
Very few people have the ability to remember perfectly. Of course, God knows that human beings tend to be forgetful – even about the most important things. Ask a family member to read Exodus 20:1-3 and make note of what God reminded Israel in the first words of the Ten Commandments.
God reminded Israel of who He was and what He had done in the past so they would worship Him alone. You see, generations of Israelites had grown up as slaves, watching the Egyptians worship false gods. Instead of recognizing the Lord as their Creator, the people of Egypt created gods from various plants and animals. They worshiped creation instead of the Creator. How does Genesis 1:1 remind you of who God is?
All the gods of Egypt were no match for the Lord. By miraculously delivering Israel from slavery, the Lord proved that the gods of Egypt were false and the God of Israel was real. God’s people were to be different from Egypt and from other nations they would encounter as they traveled to their new home. The Lord reminded the Israelites that they served the one true God.
The First Commandment may seem simple – “have no other gods.” But Israel struggled over and over again to keep it. So from time to time the Lord would remind His people that He alone is God. One of the best examples of this is found in 1 Kings 18:16-39. Check out this incredible passage together right now.
Although Elijah was greatly outnumbered, he knew without a doubt that he served the one true God. When the power of the Lord fell on the altar, God’s people remembered Him and cried out repeatedly, “The Lord – He is God!” The God of Israel proved once again that He was (and is) real.
Today, as in the days of the Israelites, we place our faith in the invisible God. Even though we can’t see Him with our eyes or touch Him with our hands, the Lord works in the world and in our lives to remind us that He is our Creator, Provider, and Protector.
Let’s discuss it.
- What evidence in creation proves that God is real?
- How has God protected and provided for your family in the past? How did it remind you to keep Him in first place in your life?
Let’s do it.
If you read the Bible regularly and are actively involved in church, then you probably believe that God exists and still works in our world. Are your actions and attitudes consistent with what you say you believe? Do you honor God as your Creator by how you behave? Are you trusting in anything or anyone other than the Lord to provide for what you need? Having no other gods before the Lord isn’t just something you acknowledge in your thoughts. How you choose to live each day shows what you really believe.
As you go throughout your week, look for someone who has doubts that God is real. Ask the Lord to help you show His love to that person. It’s not enough to simply know that we serve the only true God – we need to share that news with the world!