Life's Toughest Questions: Is Faith in God Nonsense?

I had to cut so many things on Sunday to get everyone out of there on time, so I thought I could throw in some of the stuff I cut here on the blog.

I read a passage from Isaiah 6, where Isaiah has an encounter with God in His throne room. He sees angels flying everywhere and praising God. The entire temple is filled with smoke because of the glory of God. Isaiah thinks he is doomed. Instead, his lips are seared with a live coal and he is told his sins have been atoned for and he can experience God's goodness. God asks for a divine volunteer to speak for Him, and Isaiah says he will go for God. In verses 9-10, God tells Isaiah what to tell His people.

"Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

This is God in one of His most ironic moments. He looks at humanity and sees many people who think they are alive but are merely existing, and they are blind and deaf to the reality of the spiritual all around them. God looks at them and says, "Fine, be blind! Hear but not understand! Have a calloused heart! Because the alternative would be to turn to me and be healed, but you don't realize it."

More to come.