How Do You Look at God?

How do you look at God? What view do you have of God or how do you describe Him to others? Do you feel He takes care of you? Does He give you anything that you ask for or just loves to withhold good things from you?

The story is told that the only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. God, how could You do this to me! he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. How did you know I was here? asked the weary man of his rescuers. We saw your smoke signal, they replied.

There are several common views of God that most people feel about God. A way to describe God is He is the policeman in the sky, an authoritative God, who looks for opportunities to deliver harsh punishment to those who do not follow Him. Another view is God is benevolent, that He is involved in our world and loves and supports us in caring for others.

Some of us have the critic ...