Proof for the Doubters

Lately I've been struck by any amazing desire to prove the existence of God.  Why?  Partly because I'm a panicky doubter by nature and those doubts about the existence of God creep into my mind often.  And partly because deep down inside I know He's real and I know people who I care for deeply who believe He's not.  I want the proof for them and for myself.

 Today I was reading in Joshua about the Israelites finally crossing the Jordan River and entering the land God had promised them.  When the first priest's toe touched the water of the Jordan (which was at it's flood stage level) God parted the waters and all of the Israelites crossed over.  While the waters were parted Joshua collected 12 stones from the river and set them up at a place called Gilgal.  Why?  Here's what the bible says, "He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over."(Joshua 4:21-23 NIV84). So it was a memorial of sorts for the Israelites so they would remember it was God who had brought them there.  But the bible says more.  "He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” (Joshua 4:24 NIV84). The rocks are the proof for all people that God is real.  He knows us.  He knows we will wonder and doubt His existence.  So He sets things up so that we can find the proof of Him if we go looking for it.

 I know what you might be wondering because I did too.  Where are those rocks now?  If God is real then why can't we locate those rocks?  If He wanted us to find them then why aren't they still where they were left?  That's a really good question.  The truth is however that there is proof of God's existence all around us. The bible says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20 NIV84). In my searching I stumbled across a great website that discusses six straight forward reasons for the existence of God.  The author of the list was once an atheist which I think gives her an interesting perspective. www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html  I hope if you're a doubter you will check it out.  If you're not and you already believe you might want to check it out too because surely you know someone who is.

Have a great day!