None So Deaf

This is an edited version of a message I recently preached at a 55+ community.

None so Deaf as Those who Will Not Hear

By Richard Maffeo

Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, likes to opine that people who believe in God are delusional. Dawkins postulates the reason for the stunning complexity of nature is because aliens planted DNA on earth millions of years ago. That DNA evolved to life as we now know it. 

That is from the guy who says those who believe in God are delusional. You can listen to Dawkins’ comment here: https://winteryknight.com/2009/03/12/richard-dawkins-thinks-that-aliens-may-have-caused-the-origin-of-life/ 

The late Professor Stephen Hawking, the eminent Cambridge scientist and cosmologist, had a similar derisive view of religious faith. The well-known atheist called heaven, “A fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” But I like what John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford, said in response to Hawking’s mockery: "Atheism is a fairy story for people afraid of the light" 

What settles the debate for me between both views is what Jesus said in St. John’s gospel: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21, NIV) 

In other words, for those who want to live as THEY want to live, it is far more expedient to believe something that requires nothing from us regarding our lifestyle than it is to have faith in an omnipotent and eternal God who places some rather significant requirements on our lifestyle. 

Take a look at the first verses in Psalm 19. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4) 

Although Nature shouts God’s voice, it is most often in silence that anyone with ears to hear can hear God’s voice. 

And if you think it through, that makes sense. Just as we have difficulty hearing each other in crowded restaurants with all the ambient noise, we also have difficulty hearing God with all the ambient noise of our lives – TV,  radio, chitchats with friends, trips to here and there – all our typical daily activities. Of course, such activities are fine and good. But when we want to hear specifically from God – we best hear Him in silence. Why? Because He wants our ATTENTION. 

Note what the Lord Jesus’ told His disciples – disciples, like you and I are His disciples – in Mark 6:30-32 “The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Many years ago, in an interview with Mother Teresa, Dan Rather asked her what she says to God when she prays. She answered: "I don't say anything. I just listen." Mr. Rather then asked what God says to her. "He doesn't say anything," she responded. "He just listens." 

That is an example of what I call ‘intuitive communication between lovers.’  It’s like long-married couples can finish each other’s sentences, or communicate volumes with a simple glance. 

When was the last time you noticed the silent presence of God just outside your windows? The sun, the stars, the clouds, the birds, the trees. Do we notice Him in the quietness of our apartment? We will – if we will just be still. It takes practice, but with practice, yes – we will hear Him? Why? Because He WANTS to speak with us. He’s often just waiting for us to stop being so busy. 

You might remember the story of Martha and Mary in Luke’s gospel. Mary sat quietly at Jesus’ feet as He talked with her. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:40-42) 

Take the 15-minute challenge. Set aside 15 minutes each day to get alone with God. Open your Bible and read a passage, or a page, or a chapter, and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through what you just read. It will take practice if you are not used to that sort of communication with God. But give it a chance. Practice it every day. Fifteen minutes by the clock. 

The heavens declare the glory of God. So, what does our universe tell us of God? Let’s bring it closer. What does our solar system tell us of God? 

Of the nine planets in our solar system, only Earth is placed at just the right distance from the sun for life to exist. If we were closer to the sun, we'd burn up; further away, we'd freeze. If our planet were smaller it couldn't support an atmosphere, as on Mercury. If it were larger, like Jupiter, the atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, which is poisonous for us. Earth is tilted at an angle of 23 degrees. If it was not tilted exactly at 23 degrees, we would not only lose our seasons but the water vapors from the oceans would move north and south, piling up continents of ice. 

Earth’s moon is just the right size and distance from us. The moon's gravity affects the movement of ocean currents, keeping the water from becoming stagnant. If the moon were closer than it is, our tides would daily inundate entire continents. 

But it is not only the heavens that declare God’s glory, majesty, and absolute sovereignty. What about the intricacies of the millions of species of animals and insects and fish and plant life – even to the one-celled amoeba. We could spend multiple years in post-graduate work studying their nearly incomprehensible complexities right down to the cellular level. But let’s look only humanity. Think about this: 

If evolution is true, then a male and female had to evolve simultaneously in order to be able to procreate – or humanity would have died with the first humans. They both had to evolve with the correct anatomy to enable not only conception, but also the carrying and nurturing until birth the new child. 

The male and the female had to also evolve with the proper hormones (such as estrogen and testosterone). Furthermore, each hormone had to be SPECIFIC in type and in quantity to its gender in order to either produce sperm or to ovulate an ova. And, to further complicate things, the ova had to travel along a specially designed fallopian tube until it settled in the woman’s uterus. AND, they both had to evolve simultaneously in the same geographical area in order to even meet each other. 

C’mon! What are the odds of even that little stuff happening simultaneously in two different genders – even in six billion years of evolution? 

Speaking of seeing -- medical textbooks run thousands of pages explaining the intricacies of the multiple parts of that organ of sight. For example, our eyes contain a fluid – more like a gel – that gives the eyeball its shape and holds the retina in place. Without that gel – called the vitreous humor – the eyeball would collapse. 

Our body is continually making vitreous humor. But to prevent pressure from building up in the eyeball, the same about of liquid drains out of the eye through a specialized type of ‘canal.’ If the canal is blocked, fluid builds up in the eye (this condition is called glaucoma) and without treatment, the person will become permanently blind. 

If evolution is true, both the liquid in the eyeball AND the drainage canal had to evolve simultaneously, or the first human would have been blind. 

Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is another vital fluid produced by the body. Cerebral spinal fluid bathes the brain and the spinal column and provides several critical functions – without which we would not survive. Our bodies produce approximately two cups of CSF every day, and the same amount is absorbed by the body to maintain a proper pressure especially inside the skull. If the CSF did not get reabsorbed by the body, the pressure would very quickly crush the brain. 

That’s what was happening to my wife after her stroke. Her cerebral spinal fluid pressure couldn’t drain from her skull. The surgeon had to drill a hole in her skull and insert a drainage tube to relieve that pressure. If he hadn’t done that, Nancy would have died. 

If evolution is true, then the first human had to have an intact drainage and reabsorption mechanism for the continuously produced CSF to not crush his brain. 

No wonder the psalmist wrote – long before biological science knew enough to tell us how intricately we are put together: For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16) 

Genesis tells us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The psalmist follows on with the words we have been looking at this afternoon: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.” 

Our heavenly Farther was intimately involved in creation to provide a perfectly ordered place for the crown of His creation – humanity – to live and prosper. He provided us a perfect universe, a perfect world, and perfect bodies in the beginning. But we blew it in the Garden of Eden. Sin entered God’s perfect creation, and you and I live in the aftermath of the decision of Adam and Eve. 

And THAT is why God sent His Son as the Last Adam (as the apostle Paul called Jesus) – to initiate the beginning of what will be a new heaven and a new earth where perfection will be restored . . . But only for those who join themselves to Jesus through faith in His atoning sacrifice for our sins, and by ongoing obedience to His commandments. 

The heavens declare God's love for us. Are we listening?