Are You a Functional Atheist?
“… they did not believe His promise.”
Psalm 106:24b (NIV)
Many believers today act like functional atheists. They say they believe God but act as if His promises were untrue. Israel did this when they refused to enter the promised land. The Psalmist said, “Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise.” Psalm 106:24 (NIV) Why? The New Living Translation says, “The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn’t believe His promise to care for them.” Have you ever struggled with that as well? I have. A crisis comes, and we soon forget all that God has done for us in the past. Rather than recalling His promises, we panic. Fear replaces our faith. This is especially challenging when we do pray and God is silent. How do you handle the silences of God?
Someone counted over 7,000 promises in the bible that God has made to mankind. These promises will lead us into the “pleasant land” of His presence and grace. Let’s take a moment just to review seven of them. As we do, ask yourself in what ways have you acted as if His promise was not true in your life? What circumstances have caused you to doubt His promise? How can you affirm His promise in faith today?
God promises to always love you! In Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV) God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” There’s nothing you can do to make God love you more and there’s nothing you can do to make God love you less! His love is eternal and unconditional!
God promises to never leave you! In Matthew 28:20 (NLT), Jesus said, “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” I love the way the Amplified version puts Hebrews 13:5, “… for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”
God promises to give us peace. In John 14:27 (NLT), Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
God promises to meet our needs. Paul writes in Philippians 4:19 (NIV), “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”
God promises to hear and answer our prayers. In Jeremiah 33:3 (MSG), God says, “Call to Me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”
God promises us the strength we need. In Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) God says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.”
God promises to guide us. Psalm 32:8 (NLT), “The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’”
Have you been missing out on the pleasant land because you’ve acted as if God’s promises weren’t true? Unbelief will keep you stuck in the wilderness. Stop wandering around. Quit behaving like a functional atheist. Choose to believe God’s promises. Enter in the pleasant land of His presence with the confident assurance that His promises are true!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.
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