Why doesn't God show Himself

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

darknova said:

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

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This might sound stupid but I believe that God shows Himself. If we look outside at night we see His handy work in space. We can see His handy work around us. For example, when I see birds, it reminds me of what Jesus said that if God takes care of the birds how much more will He take care of us. So I see God in that to remind of us of Him. He does this all the time with all kinds of things. Here's another example. My wife and I had gotten some onions from the garden and we took them to the kitchen to clean them. As we were cleaning them, God brought to my memory how He cleaned me up from my sins. It took a while and it was a little rough because He was scrubbing on me just like we were scrubbing on the onions to get them clean. I seen God in that.
God is also known for answering prayers. For example, God answered over 50,000 prayers for George Mueller in his lifetime. Have you ever seen the show, "Bruce Almighty", God tries to get our attention but we're not paying attention.

darknova said:

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

Click to expand...

Because He is God and He has decided to show Himself in the manner that He does.

It doesn't really make a difference, according to the Bible. In the story of the Jewish Exodus, God visibly led the Jews out of Egypt, as a cloud of smoke by day, and as a pillar of fire by night. He performed many miracles to save their lives. Yet they repeatedly lost faith and blasphemed him and turned to follow fake pagan gods.

darknova said:

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

Click to expand...

He does. The question you should be asking is why can't I see it?

drich0150 said:

He does. The question you should be asking is why can't I see it?

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Indeed.

Thanks for the replies

Sketcher said:

It doesn't really make a difference, according to the Bible. In the story of the Jewish Exodus, God visibly led the Jews out of Egypt, as a cloud of smoke by day, and as a pillar of fire by night. He performed many miracles to save their lives. Yet they repeatedly lost faith and blasphemed him and turned to follow fake pagan gods.

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Wouldn't you say the Jews knew about God but turned against, so if God was that obvious those who do want to know Him would more easily?

drich0150 said:

He does. The question you should be asking is why can't I see it?

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I know that when I was more Christian I saw God as being obvious and saw Him in more places, but isn't somewhat down to interpretation. What you call God I could call physics or biology or coincidence couldn't I?

darknova said:

Thanks for the replies



Wouldn't you say the Jews knew about God but turned against, so if God was that obvious those who do want to know Him would more easily?



I know that when I was more Christian I saw God as being obvious and saw Him in more places, but isn't somewhat down to interpretation. What you call God I could call physics or biology or coincidence couldn't I?

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God shows himself in three ways - through creation, through the bible and through the person of Jesus.

The more you look for him, the more you will find him. If however you choose to ignore him, then of course you wont see him.

Jesus said "seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you"

Happy searching

darknova said:

Wouldn't you say the Jews knew about God but turned against, so if God was that obvious those who do want to know Him would more easily?

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God is as obvious as he needs to be for people to know him.

darknova said:

I know that when I was more Christian I saw God as being obvious and saw Him in more places, but isn't somewhat down to interpretation. What you call God I could call physics or biology or coincidence couldn't I?

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Are you searching for God or just to make a scientific case against Him as one can see on other threads around the forum?

sacerdote said:

Are you searching for God or just to make a scientific case against Him as one can see on other threads around the forum?

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Searching for God but within my own head I would have a scientific understanding and something others or I myself may think is God.

darknova-

I like these quotations:

Do you not realize that if ink were poured out accidentally on a sheet of paper, it would be impossible that proper writing would result, or legible lines such as written with a pen?...Now, if we find it impossible to reconcile ourselves to the idea that written forms can make themselves, how is it possible to say, when we see something more subtle in form [and] more difficult to create...that it was made without the purpose, power and wisdom of a mighty designer? (Bahya ibn Pakuda, Duties of the Heart, as quoted in Jewish Wisdom, pgg. 284-285, authored by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin)

God may have had his own reasons for denying us certainty with regard to his existence and nature. One reason apparent to us is that man's certainty with regard to anything is poison to his soul. Who knows this better than moderns, who have had to cope with dogmatic Fascists, Communists and even scientists? (Rabbi Emanuel Rackman in The condition of Jewish Belief, as quoted inJewish Wisdom, pgg 283-284, by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin)

Fear only two; God, and him who fears not God. (Judah Leib Lazerov)

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

Click to expand...

There are many things I could say in response to your post above. Let's see...

1.) Generally, people see what they want to see. You can bet someone who is invested in the idea that there is no God will not see Him even if He is acting in an obvious way before them. Such people will fall back on the explanation that coincidence, not God, is at work even when this explanation is glaringly unsatisfactory.

2.) God stood before His creatures in the person of Christ and they rejected and finally killed him. They witnessed his many, many miracles; they heard and marvelled at the power and profundity of his teaching; they tried to cover up his resurrection, yet, in spite of all of the supernatural events emanating from the person of Christ, they remained his enemies, as hard as granite to the idea that he was, in fact, God.

What makes you think that people today are any more eager to bow their knee to their Maker than they were in Jesus' day?

3.) I have been the recipient of countless answers to prayer. Not just one or two generic happenings that could be chalked up to mere "coincidence," but highly specific, perfectly-timed, and repeated answers to my prayers. And I am not alone. You should check out the biography of George Mueller for a truly remarkable example of what I'm talking about.

4.) Just because one could argue a scientific or coincidental basis for what Christians claim as evidence for God's work in their lives doesn't mean, necessarily, that such arguments are true.

Selah.

God deliberately leaves wriggle-room for a number of connected reasons, darknova. Why would he want to be 'loved' by fairweather friends, simply because they were left in absolutely no doubt of the reality and scope of his power. He would have followed up that incident where he briefly did give a glimpse of it, with a conclusive demonstration. I mean when the men who had come to arrest him in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion were mysteriously thrown to the ground, seemingly unconscious.

In fact, with the notable exception of his raising of Lazarus from the dead, which evidently terrified the authorities, he only displayed his inifinite, divine power to his closest disciples; checking the wind and the waves, for example.

We believe what we want to. It just happens that God made the world to fit with the best hopes and desires of his children. Worldly intellectual prowess will never qualify us for heaven. He tests our heart, because that is what he is interested in.

There is no reason why someone who was born a cretin, technically, should not be at least the match of Einstein in intelligence in the next life. Like science, itself, the worldy intelligence is just that. Its competence does not necessarily extend beyond the basest, crudest aspect of creation, matter. Why would such knowledge, if it were ever desired, be denied anyone in heaven, least of all on the basis of their level of worldly intelligence on earth? If we are given a relatively high level of worldly intelligence by God, then its sole merit for the person will be, if he bases it on the deeper, spiritual truths.

Our assumptions are absolutely pivotal, and are the result of our life's experience, and are our life's work, not in the slightest guaranteed by our more superficial, worldly intelligence. It's well-known, isn't it, that the most brilliant of people academically can be absolute idiots. And that is simply because their life and beliefs are based on false assumptions. And it is the heart that chooses these assumptions, not the head.

It is sometimes said that Christianity is wishful thinking. Well, why must the truth be something cold, hard, ugly, not be wished for, not to be hoped for? That's not the God we worship, and we're not the types who prefer the negative and mean, either. So we make a match of sorts, don't we? We are, after all, family; the extended family fo the Holy Trinity itself, albeit by adoption.

darknova said:

I know that when I was more Christian I saw God as being obvious and saw Him in more places, but isn't somewhat down to interpretation. What you call God I could call physics or biology or coincidence couldn't I?

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At the same time wouldn't The God who made the universe, That we have categorized by using things like "Physics and/or biology" indeed give His evidence in the same manor in which He created everything else?

I do not understand the logic that people use to determining the reason How or Why the Same God who put the Universe into motion would only give signs or communicate outside of the laws and process in which He Himself instituted. Just because He can Speak outside of our understandings, doesn't mean he is bound or limited to that form of communication.

Again it comes down to your ability to see and understand Him as He is, and not who you have created him to be in your mind. If God was the god a non-christian has created, then truly could he be God?

darknova said:

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

Click to expand...

In a word: humility.

Do you know what else goes hand in hand with that? Our Faith.


Scriptures: "it is a wicked generation that seeks after a sign." This refers to our carnality, which is in direct opposition with our Spirituality which functions thus: "without faith it is impossible to please God, because those who come to him must be believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him."

drich0150 said:

At the same time wouldn't The God who made the universe, That we have categorized by using things like "Physics and/or biology" indeed give His evidence in the same manor in which He created everything else?

I do not understand the logic that people use to determining the reason How or Why the Same God who put the Universe into motion would only give signs or communicate outside of the laws and process in which He Himself instituted. Just because He can Speak outside of our understandings, doesn't mean he is bound or limited to that form of communication.

Again it comes down to your ability to see and understand Him as He is, and not who you have created him to be in your mind. If God was the god a non-christian has created, then truly could he be God?

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So pretty much I saw just look for God in natural places rather than supernatural?

darknova said:

Searching for God but within my own head I would have a scientific understanding and something others or I myself may think is God.

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You've referenced having a foundation of faith and belief. I would work with that. I suggest that you have a meeting with your ex pastor or a pastor referred by a friend, and lay all your questions, hopes and fears on the table. This is not the typical "pretend I'm searching then bash Christianity" OP. I think you are really searching. I'm not sure what I can tell you except don't give up and if it is possible, continue or resume those things that help support and even enliven us such as prayer, reading scripture, going to church, and being of service to those in need. Jesus Christ said in the books of Matthew and Luke,

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Don't give up brother. We have all been given a measure of faith. Work with it and stoke it up just as you would a log fire. God will help you because He is faithful.

darknova said:

So pretty much I saw just look for God in natural places rather than supernatural?

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No, God is here with us all of the time. If you can not see Him now then know you will not see Him if you simply look harder. It takes a gift from God to "see" God. Rather it takes the Gift of the Holy Spirit to see Him in our lives. If you have accepted Christ then ask God to open your eyes, ears and heart that you may receive the Holy Spirit.

Luke 11:


5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

We ask through prayers like the one I left for you, we seek in places like this, church and in the bible, we knock by repeating this whole process till we get what our hearts want.

darknova said:

Hi,

So why doesn't God show Himself more in a more obvious way? It is generally through coincidence and feelings that God is known it seems, but why doesn't God shown Himself or do something in a more physical or just more obvious way?

Thanks

Click to expand...

This is my own opinion, so take it for what its worth . Lets assume God DOES show himself more. What would us as a ordinary human do? If everyone knew a God with powers over life and death, love and hate, over all physics, laws, and mechanism of this world, what would we do? Would we not rely on him for everything? Would we not cease trying to improve ourselves? Would society have advanced to todays technology? As bad as todays society may seem, it is much much better than even a hundred years ago, when women couldn't vote, and your skin color defined your limits all over the world.

God did show himself overtly before, to Adam and Eve. He gave them power over animals, and showed them his love, might and omnipotence. But what did Adam and Eve do? Even though they literally saw and witnessed the Lord, at the first temptation, they couldn't control themselves, lied to God, and blamed each other. Does that sound like Adam and Eve were mature humans? Or were they more like babies?

So take Adam and Eve as partially why God does not show himself overtly, because honestly, it may not be THAT beneficial to us. Perhaps God does want to be acknowledged as God, but also see us grow as well, much like any parent.

You want to see God? We already have him in the Bible. Consider a cookbook. You read it and follow its directions faithfully. If you end up with a tasty cake, then that books the real deal. Same with the Bible. Read it faithfully/open-minded from cover to cover, follow its instructions, especially the new covenant with Jesus, and see if anything has changed in your life. See if you are more at peace and more full of love and joy. Go ask a friend or attend church if you have problems understanding.

If nothing has changed, than its all for naught. If something has, perhaps God has just shown himself to you...