God is Perfect!

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart." Matthew 13:1

This morning during the church service, I had a written conversation with Hunter on God's ability to create a perfect world. I know that as a teenager, things must sometimes seem unbalanced and confusing. What he learns in school just does not align with what God's word says. In a world where commercials, TV shows, music lyrics, video games, billboard signs and business logos promote ungodly living, it must be tough to be a teenager today. So I welcome such conversations, even if they are right in the middle of the service. Pastor Jerry, I heard every word you said today! :)

Hunter: Do you believe that God is perfect?

Me: Yes, or he wouldn't have been able to create such beautiful and smart children like mine! :)

Hunter: In order to be perfect, you must create perfect things, speak perfect things; do perfect things that are all good. To be perfect you can’t create evil. If God knows the future, then why didn’t he stop Satan?

Me: God created a perfect world. He gave His angels charge over us to protect us but Satan (who used to be one of God's most powerful angels) convinced other angels to challenge God. Satan and his prideful ways made the choice to rebel against God in order to seek to become his own god. Satan did not want to worship or obey God; he wanted to be God. God allows Satan to tempt you because when He created you, He gave you free will to follow Him as well. Satan is the god of the world; but even God has dominion over the world. In the end, we already know what will happen to Satan, he will be destroyed. Those who remain faithful and believe even when they do not understand...will spend eternity with God in heaven.

(At this point, I realize I am getting a bit too deep for a 17 year old that just wants a black and white answer but my mind starts to race as I think back to Genesis and the temptation that resulted in the fall of man. God didn’t create evil. Nothing but good comes from God. Evil comes from Satan. In the beginning God did create a perfect world. Satan was a beautiful angel, one of God's most powerful angel. He was not created in the image of God like you and I; but instead as a spiritual being that would be given very special responsibilities. He was the "seal of perfection, full of wisdom and beauty" according to Ezekiel 28:11. God created Satan who was known as Lucifer which means "Morning Star" . Lucifer's pride caused him to rebel against God. Since God is the most powerful, most high, most magnificent and the ONLY creator of all creation...God threw him out of heaven and down to earth, with the other less powerful angels that rebelled with him. The bible says one third of the angels were cast away by God.)

Hunter: If God is perfect, he would create perfect angels, the world be perfect, and we would not need "protection" because evil would not exist. God wouldn't have or couldn't have created Satan and evil if He is perfect. Doesn't it contradict everything by saying God is perfect? Why would he allow death, disease, murder, suicide, cancer...He can’t create evil if He is perfect. I don't get it!

Me: God is THE creator of heaven and earth. You will never know or understand His ways. He is the one that aligned the sun and moon. So why would you think that He would give you all the answers? You are not meant to understand everything. Some things are hard to understand and that is when faith must take over. I can’t see the wind but I sure can feel it. I can't see God's face like I can see yours; but I can see Him in everything good and beautiful (I got this from a conversation with a friend on Friday. Thanks Aimee). Like Zaxby's special sauce...you will never know all the special ingredients it took to master the great taste. It would jeopardize the invention itself. :) Romans would be a great place to start reading if you need help understanding this.

(Hunter looks up at me and shakes his head; but he smiles).

(At this point, I have to get up to sing with the Praise team and when church is over, this is the next part that Hunter has written down for me to read).

Hunter: The bible says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Iraq, Iran, N. Korea, China, Cuba, Russia, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Hitler, Osama, Saddam, other enemies, other religions that seek to destroy Christians, Satan, murderers, rapists, gangs....all evil.

"For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Wasn’t this written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution? Why would this happen if God says no one could be against us? Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms...persecution, illness, imprisonment, even death. I thought if you believe in God and He is for you…no one can be against me?

(END)

I take a deep breath…and my heart sinks. I have missed the opportunity to finish this conversation. Rarely does he want to have a real conversation, especially about God and I’m left with a lot to say. It isn’t the typical conversation that I have with Hunter. I’m lucky if I can get Hunter to sit with me for 5 seconds. He is 17 for goodness sake.  I head to Sunday School confused, concerned, and a bit scared to let this go. 

Afraid to let out that deep breath, I silently pray… “So now God, what do I do?" As if God was standing directly in front of me, I hear Him say, "WAIT!" For some unusual reason, waiting is all I felt comfortable doing. Since this morning, I've read the last part of our conversation a million times, thought of a million things that I want to say. I have to continue to remind myself to wait. It isn't easy; but it is necessary.

When we got home, I asked if he wanted to talk about it. I get the typical 17 year old answer, “Nah, let’s talk about it later. I’m going to Rebecca’s house for a while.” Again, I ask God for direction and I know that when the time is right, when it is God’s perfect timing, maybe I will have the chance to finish our conversation. I continue to wait...

The lesson here may not be for Hunter to have all the answers, but rather for me to recognize when to “be still” and wait for God's quiet voice to direct my path. In the meantime, I am confident in knowing that my God is in total control. He knows what is going on in Hunter’s mind. He is the only one that can give him the wisdom and discernment to know God is perfect and Satan is evil. Satan is on a tight leash; controlled by God. Satan is given limited and short term authority by his creator (GOD) to tempt us and lead us astray. BUT that is not the end. God will never leave us...even if we choose to turn away from him. God is ALWAYS there to forgive and accept us just as we are. We have no idea what God has already done to save us from Satan’s constant plan to destroy us. After all, He is perfect and His ways are not for us to understand. If we did, then we would be in the same sinking boat as Satan...trying to be God. Why would we need a creator? In spite of Satan’s destruction, our willingness to love and serve the one and only God shows God our faithfulness. His mercy, grace, patience, forgiveness, wisdom and love will always be there for those who believe. In the end, Genesis 3:15 will be the ultimate punishment for Satan...“it shalt bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”. Translation…Satan may have the power to tempt us; but we also have the power to withstand Satan's temptations. 

Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect”. An article from (www.gotquestions.org) said it best, "If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and whatever He allows—is also perfect. So the perfect plan from our perfect God was to allow sin."