“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).
Can you remember that time in your childhood where you really started to ponder the great questions of existence? Was there ever a time when you thought something like, “What if I were never born?” or the unsettling thought, “What if there were nothing instead of something?” It was about the fourth grade when I suddenly came to grips with my finiteness. The questions for me were, “What if I never existed?” and “What if God never existed?” The visual image in my mind that I remember while contemplating those disturbing thoughts is that of complete darkness. An infinite void of dark and nothingness. These kinds of thoughts are good because when we come face to face with them, we are in a position to realize just how finite and dependent we are upon the Lord God, who “is and who was and who is to come….” The answers to my two questions of course are that the Lord did make me (and so I exist) and that the Lord is eternal and self-existent (therefore he cannot not exist – he is necessary).
As I was reading R.C. Sproul’s new book, Everyone’s a Theologian, I was reminded that God is eternal and self-existent and that we human beings are finite and dependent. Some out there in the world today might find that a disturbing or frustrating thought. We (especially Americans) like to think of ourselves as independent and resourceful. It is hard for us to come to grips with our weakness and dependence upon anyone or anything else, especially the Lord God. But the Christian – one who has come from spiritual death to spiritual life – rejoices in his or her dependence upon God. The contrast between our finiteness and his infinitude becomes like a refreshing pool of water in the middle of the desert, for it reminds us of how great our God is and how he cares for us even in our weakness. The Lord God has been around forever and he will remain forever. That is a truth that comforts his people in a day and age when the world seems so out of control and hopeless. Praise the Lord that he is eternal, infinite and self-existent!
As the Call family prepares to leave for Uruguay, we remember these truths. These doctrines have practical value for believers as we face changes in our lives. Tomorrow we leave our home, our culture, our language, our friends, and our way of life in many respects. We will begin to learn to live in a new culture, to immerse ourselves in Spanish, to embrace new ways of living. This can be somewhat disconcerting, but we know that our Lord God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is our firm foundation. We look forward to how he will lead us and how he will remind us that we are finite and he is all we need.
Please pray for us in this transition. Please pray that God will indeed remind us of these truths and that we will truly grow in faith – trusting in our eternal and infinite Lord! Specific things you may pray for are: (1) Safe travel and good health; (2) Hearts that are devoted to the Lord; (3) Wisdom on all the logistical details; (4) A smooth transition into our new lives in Uruguay; and (5) That God would prepare those to whom we will minister and serve so that they may know this eternal and infinite God who is at the same time full of grace and mercy!