“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth” (Psalm 8:1 NIV1984). “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hand” (Psalm 19:1). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
No room for God? How can that be possible when we are part of God’s great creation and recipients of His grace? It is more than possible; it is a reality. The Bible tells us that “in his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God”(Psalm 10:4). Even in his haughtiness, “he says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble” (Psalm 10:6). We call them atheists and they come from all social classes. But God calls them fools. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 53:1-3).
When the Apostle Paul went to Athens, he was disturbed by the number of idols that were worshiped in this famous city. People met in the synagogues and marketplace to discuss new ideas and Paul took the opportunity to tell them about the one God they did not know. He started with these words: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands” (Acts 17:24). He explained in a few verses later that God did this for people like them so that they would reach out and find Him. He ended with these words: “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed” (Acts 17:27-31). Unbelievers who have no room for God will see the error of their ways one day.
No room for God? Not so for believers! When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we willingly welcomed Him into our lives and were filled with His Holy Spirit. We must be careful, however, to avoid taking up part of His room to make a place for things that please us. When problems arise, like losing a job, serious health problems, grieving the loss of a friend or loved one, or any other number of things that cause us pain, we immediately call out to God for help and comfort. He is quick to come to our rescue. That should at once cause us to return to Him the full place in our hearts that He deserves.
Like atheists, we did not know God and did not seek Him. But He sought us out. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Unlike atheists, we have made room for God, accepting Him by grace, through faith. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (I Peter 1:8-9).
