Passage Read: Psalm 115-118
Meditation Verses: 115:2-4
Thought
The nations ask, "Where is their God?" because they are looking for some proof or evidence that our God is real. Their gods are idols and can do nothing, either good or bad. The demons behind those idols have power, though limited by the Lord, so they cannot make good on everything they promise or plan. Sometimes an idol worshiper gets what he asks for and sometimes not. So that is no better evidence for the reality of their gods than asking for signs from our God. Ultimately, they point to the idol itself to show its reality, but the idol is nothing but wood or stone or silver or gold. They point to our God and find nothing to represent Him, and so conclude that our God is absent at best and nonexistent at worst. But neither does our God grant our every request, so He can seem as capricious or unreliable as the idols! But God is no slave or genie who does whatever we command. On the contrary, He rules all creation by His own wisdom and for His own purposes. He has shown Himself and His power and spoken to men, and there is sufficient proof to any who would seek it. So while we cannot command our God any more than the idol worshiper can command his, our God has shown Himself to be almighty and to care for His people, to have power both to save and to bless.
Application
Unbelievers may ask where our God is, asking in scorn because they cannot see Him or evidence for Him, but by their standard, their god is no better, whether that be "luck" or "karma" or science or themselves or an actual idol. Our God calls us to live in a particular way, by His authority as Creator and Redeemer of all mankind. They prefer their gods because their gods demand nothing from them, yet might give them what they want. Or encourage them to do whatever their selfish flesh wants for itself. What assures me all the more that my God is true and real is that He does have standards for how His people must live, and they are good and kind and loving ways, especially in restraining my baser and selfish impulses to consider what is good for others. I don't need to be afraid when men ask me to produce irrefutable proof of God's existence, because I know He is the one true God and He has said there is no other, so there is in fact no other god!