Taste And See.

You probably know who Jordan Peterson is. Personally, I admire him for his intellect and his principles.

Several months ago I watched his video series on Exodus. If you are unfamiliar, I would describe it this way: a panel of brilliant men with diverse backgrounds gather around a table to read and discuss the Old Testament story of how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and brought them to the promised land.

The series consists of 17 episodes, and the total runtime is over 33 hours!

Prior to making the Exodus series, Jordan Peterson gave a series of lectures on the book of Genesis, and currently he is on a tour entitled, “We Who Wrestle With God.” He’s written a book with the same title.

It’s clear that Dr. Peterson is serious about his search for God. Sadly, with his current approach, I fear he may miss Him.

Knowledge vs understanding.

A parable:

There once was a brilliant scientist who wanted to learn all there was to learn about chocolate. He bought a chocolate bar, and conducted many experiments. He meticulously recorded his observations, and in time he came to know a great deal about chocolate: how its made, its melting point, the precise ratios of all the ingredients, etc.

The scientist dug deeper, learning about chocolate’s chemical composition, molecular density, atomic structure, and more. Finally, he felt confident he knew all there was to know.

Then, one day, a boy came into his lab. The boy simply ate the chocolate bar, and smiled.

You see, the scientist knows about chocolate; the boy knows chocolate.

Until the scientist tastes the chocolate for himself, he will never truly understand it. When he does, he will realize that what he knows about chocolate on an intellectual level doesn’t compare to the experience of eating it.

It’s similar with God. Using one’s intellect to get a deeper knowledge of God is no substitute for experiencing God in a real and personal way. As the Psalmist said:

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

Uncomplicated.

Good news! If you want to know God, you don’t need special training or equipment. You don’t have to have a PhD in philosophy or religion. A personal relationship with God is available to anyone who desires it. All you need is humility and a tender heart.

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Mathew 18:1-4

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:11-12

Want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Want to find God? Humble yourself, repent of your sin, trust fully in Jesus, and you will.

Jesus is the way to God; there is no other. Through Him, the God of the Bible becomes more than just an abstract idea. He comes alive inside you. The One, True God. The God of the prophets, the God of King David, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through Jesus, that God becomes your God.

Don’t settle.

I pray almost every day for Jordan Peterson. He is so close to the truth. I pray that one day he will humble himself and come to Jesus with the heart of a child. I pray that he will experience God, not as some impersonal, abstract idea, but as the awesome, terrifying, holy, and personal Being that He is.

If you have come to Jesus already, you know what I’m talking about. If you have not, don’t delay. Take a leap of faith. Experience God for yourself. Taste and see.

A God Too Small.

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Richard Dawkins

It’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?

Stephen Fry

Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?

Epicurus

I’m fascinated when men who do not believe in God attack Him with such great passion and ferocity. “God doesn’t exist!” they proclaim, “But if he does, he’s an immoral psychopath because he allows or even perpetrates [insert atrocity here].”

Theologians and apologists have wrestled with “the problem of evil” for centuries. It’s often presented as evidence that God does not exist, but the quotes above assert something more. There’s an audaciousness to them, an attitude of superiority. They imply that if God exists, man possesses the knowledge, wisdom, and authority to sit in judgement of His actions. How foolish!

An incomplete picture.

Can you rightly judge the quality of a painting if you can see only one square inch of it? Can you read the first word of a book and determine the worth of its message? If you taste only one ingredient, can you fairly critique the whole meal?

In like manner, none of us has sufficient knowledge to criticize God’s actions. We see one speck of one piece of the puzzle, and dare to imagine that we are in a position to pass judgement on the whole. We don’t even know how much we don’t know!

Given our limitations, isn’t it possible that God has good reasons for allowing pain, suffering, and evil to exist? Reasons that we know nothing about? Reasons that are beyond our comprehension? Only pride would dare answer, “no!”

When a parent takes their small child to the doctor and allows the doctor to give the child a shot, what does that look like from the child’s point of view? The child doesn’t understand the purpose of the shot. They don’t know that it is ultimately for their good. All they know is that the needle hurts, and the parent let the doctor stab them with it! Would the child be right to call the parent evil based on what they experienced?

Obviously, the knowledge-gap between us and God is infinitely greater than the gap between a parent and their child. It’s fair to say that we are in no position to accurately judge the decisions of The Almighty.

Where were you?

You are probably familiar with the story of Job. He was a man who had it all… health, wealth, family, and fame. In an instant, God took it all away.

Job was flabbergasted. Why had God allowed all this evil to happen to him? Job’s friends came and basically said, “Wow! Job, you must have sinned pretty bad for God to do all of this to you.” Job insisted he was innocent; that he did not deserve what God was dishing out.

In the book of Job, chapter 31, Job boasts to his friends of his righteousness. Near the end of the chapter he states:

“If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me.

I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown.

For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.”

Job 31:35-37

Bold words. He’s basically saying, “God, You messed up! You got this one wrong!” But his friend, Elihu, reminds Job who God is (Job chapters 32 – 37), and then God Himself responds to Job (Job chapters 38 – 41).

Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?

Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.

Job 38:1-4

God asks Job a series of rhetorical questions to remind him of his place in the universe. Such questions apply to anyone who wishes to challenge God. Where were you when God created the universe out of nothing? Where were you when God brought order out of chaos and light into darkness? When did you become omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent? Who do you think you are?

Job, to his credit, responds in the only appropriate way:

Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.

You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Job 42:1-6

No limits.

I don’t know why God allows evil, pain, and suffering to exist, but I don’t need to. The Bible tells me that God is good, that He has a plan, and that He is without limits. God is not bound by time or space. He is not constrained by the laws of nature, physics, or mathematics. If He chooses, He can instantly right every wrong, and mete out His perfect justice to every human soul… past, present, and future. He can do this because He is Almighty God, and with Him nothing is impossible.

If you look at the current state of the world, and believe that evil, pain, and suffering are incompatible with a perfect and holy God, you simply believe in a god too small.

Does Your Life Have Meaning?

King Solomon was a man who had everything. Money, fame, women, power… you name it, he had it. All the comforts and pleasures of the world were at his fingertips. I Kings 11:3 tells us he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I Kings 4:34 says that every king on earth knew of Solomon’s great wisdom. His wealth (in today’s dollars) is estimated to have been around 2.2 trillion (yes trillion, with a “t“).

Like all human beings, Solomon wanted to know, “What’s life all about? What am I doing here? What should I be doing during my time on Earth?” The book of Ecclesiastes documents Solomon’s search for meaning in his life.

…I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:3

Solomon had the resources to live the kind of life we can only dream about. Yet, towards the end of his life, Solomon describes all that he owned and all that he accomplished with these words:

Meaningless! Meaningless! … Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 1:2

Keeping it real.

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Solomon smashes the rose-colored glasses, and describes life as it really is. Read Ecclesiastes when you have time. It’s short, and well worth your time. In the meantime, here’s a summary of what Solomon had to say:

  • Life is monotonous (Ecc. 1:5-11)
  • Life is a burden (Ecc. 1:13 / Ecc. 3:10)
  • Life is unjust (Ecc. 3:16 / Ecc. 4:1-3)
  • Life is unfair (Ecc. 2:21 / Ecc. 8:14 / Ecc. 9:11 / Ecc. 10:6-7)
  • Life is unpredictable (Ecc. 9:12 / Ecc. 8:7-8 / Ecc. 10:8-9)
  • Pleasure does not satisfy (Ecc. 2:1)
  • Success does not satisfy (Ecc. 2:4-11)
  • Wealth does not satisfy (Ecc. 5:10)
  • Knowledge/wisdom do not satisfy (Ecc. 1:18 / Ecc. 2:12-16)
  • Youth and vigor are fleeting (Ecc. 11:10)
  • Death gets us all in the end (Ecc. 9:3 / Ecc. 3:19 / Ecc. 2:14 / Ecc. 12: 6-7)

The hard truth is, nothing in this world can truly satisfy you. How many people have you known (or known of) that seem to “have it all” but are miserable and unfulfilled? What percentage of the rich and famous spend their days trying to numb their pain with sex, drugs, alcohol, or other vices?

If all this harsh reality bums you out, hang in there! The good news is coming.

Where is meaning to be found?

Solomon went down every road this world has to offer, and each was a dead end. However, sprinkled throughout Ecclesiastes are markers that show the path that leads to meaning and fulfillment. Here are two examples:

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.

Ecclesiastes 5:18

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

There are several verses that have this theme of “it is good to eat, drink, and toil.” (For more examples, see: Ecc. 9:7-9 / Ecc. 2:24-25 / Ecc. 3:22 / Ecc. 5:12) The idea is this: The people who find meaning and satisfaction in life are those who whole-heartedly do what God put them on the Earth to do.

To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness…

Ecclesiastes 2:26a

 They [those who do God’s will] seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:20

God has a specific plan and purpose for your life, and the closer you follow His plan, the more satisfied you will be. To know his specific plan for you life, you must seek Him in prayer and study His Word, but if you’re looking for a place to start, Solomon offers that in his conclusion:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

So, if you’re feeling unfulfilled; if everything seems “meaningless, meaningless, meaningless!” then seek out God’s plan for your life and follow it with all your might! Fear Him. Keep His commandments. This is how you will find purpose and meaning in your life.

What’s The Value Of Wisdom?

Over the years, I developed a habit of starting most of my prayers in a similar fashion. Almost without thinking, I would pray, “Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Please give me the wisdom and strength I need to do whatever it is you have for me to do.”

This isn’t a bad way to start a prayer, but something I recently read in scripture caused me to stop and think about it more deeply. Specifically, it caused me to reflect on the part where I ask God for wisdom.

An unexpected find.

I was reading through Job. The book tells of the awful tragedies Job endured, and a large part of the book is dialogue: first between Job and his friends, and finally between Job and God.

But chapter 28 takes a surprising break from the story. In my Bible (NIV), at the head of chapter 28, it says: Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found. I thought this was strange, and it really made me sit up and pay attention. I encourage you to take a couple of minutes right now and read Job 28.

Beyond compare.

Job 28 reminds us that men will go to great lengths to acquire precious things. They will dig and drill and mine deep into the earth to acquire rare gems. They will sweat and bleed for silver and gold. Wisdom is said to be more valuable than these things, but do we prize it as such? Do we pursue it with the same fervor? “Not I,” I thought.

It dawned on me as I read these verses that I did not fully appreciate the value of wisdom! I had been casually, almost flippantly asking God for wisdom. I wondered, “why would God give me something of such great worth if I don’t truly understand or appreciate its value?”

Imagine a king with his very young child. The toddler asks their father for a giant ruby or diamond. Is the king going to hand it over? Of course not! Not because he doesn’t love the child, but because the child doesn’t comprehend the value of what they are asking for. The child can’t make proper use of it. They’re not ready.

A new approach.

I still ask God for wisdom, and it’s important to do so. The Bible says:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:5

But now that I have a better grasp of what I’m asking for, I ask in a different way. I ask God to help me grow and mature so that I can make use of the wisdom He gives me. I don’t want to be like a child that admires a ruby because of its sparkle and then carelessly sets it aside. Instead, I want to be a responsible prince that accepts the King’s ruby and then uses it for His glory.

How about you? What value do you ascribe to wisdom? Are you ready to make use of the wisdom God gives you?

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