If you could build a god....

If you could build a god….

If you could build a god, when would you build it?  Would you wait until you were in trouble?  Would it be done in a panic?

If you could build a god, what would you have your god feel?  Would it be insensitive or would you rather it be caring?  Would you build a god that listened to you anytime, anywhere?

If you could build a god, what would you have your god do?  Would you have a god of randomness or purpose?  Would you have a god of action or of inaction?

If you could build a god, what would you call it?  Would you choose a name that inspires terror?  Would you call it by what it was capable of doing?

If you could build a god, where would you keep it?  Would you keep it close to you or out of sight?  Would you lock it away somewhere safe?  Would you make it accessible to others or keep it to yourself?

If you could build a god, would you build the one you already have?

Jehovah God doesn’t have to be created.  As a matter of fact, He is eternal in His nature.  He is the God of creation (Genesis 1:1), the God of the fathers (Exodus 3:6), and the God of all flesh (Acts 17:25).  There has never been a time when He did not exist, nor will His existence ever cease.  Abraham at Beersheba “called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33).  Moses wrote, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2).  Who needs to create a God when One already exists?

One of the traits that people look for most in others is listening.  People like people who will hear them when they speak.  That same characteristic is one of Jehovah God’s greatest attributes.  “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).  Jehovah God is already listening and already cares (1 Peter 5:7)!

Too often we find ourselves reacting to situations.  All too frequently we are looking for solutions to problems that crop up from day to day.  Let’s face it: it is difficult to address problems that we don’t even know exist.  How many times through history has God been on top of things while man was still trying to figure out what had gone wrong?  For example, God heard the cries of the Israelites in Egypt and sent Moses as a deliver.  The biggest problem of all however is sin, and God has been working on that from the beginning (Genesis 3:15).  Isaiah prophesied of the deliverance that God would provide (Isaiah 9:1-2).  The whole scheme of redemption was a result of God’s action when man was still trying to figure out what the problem was (Romans 5:8).  How much more proactive could God be than to send His only begotten Son to die for us?

As you look at the Bible you come will come to realize that the names of God within the Scriptures are actually a collection of His attributes.  One of those names, however, stands out more than any other.  “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).  At this point we begin to realize that we did not name God: He did.  Because of that, His name is to be honored and revered (Psalm 111:9).  In the Ten Commandments God said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).  Jehovah God already has a name and He cherishes it dearly.  It is not a name to be taken or used lightly.

You don’t have to worry about where to keep Jehovah God.  “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:23-24).  This characteristic of God is often called “omnipresence,” describing His ability to be not just anywhere at any time, but everywhere all the time.  We don’t have to worry about losing Jehovah God or having Him stolen away.  On the contrary our greatest concern should be going away from Him.  “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

If you could build a god, would you build the one you already have?  Jehovah God cannot be replaced or surpassed.  He can, however, be ignored, misused, and blasphemed.  You will never be able to make a god whose love is greater, whose forgiveness is wider, or whose care is as deep.  Don’t try to improve on perfection!  Keep the God you have!