Believing God--Week 2

This week's theme is the first in the five-statement pledge of faith that this study centers around:

God is who He says He is.

The first sentence of the homework for this week was "Prepare to squirm". The problem I had was that I didn't feel the need to squirm because I already believed the things we learned about God--That He is maker of heaven and earth, that He created everything from nothing, including people, that He created us uniquely male and female, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I've believed those things literally my whole life. I can't remember a time when I didn't believe it. So then I felt guilty because maybe I was being prideful. Then I started to worry that maybe I was missing something because it couldn't possibly be this easy, could it?
But then I decided to be thankful. Thankful that I grew up in a Godly family. Thankful that my Grandma Reynolds was my 2nd grade Sunday School teacher. Thankful that all my grandparents demonstrated the love of God through their kindness to people, their love of His creation and their love for me. Thankful that I grew up in a church that emphasized Bible teachings over the words of man. Thankful that I grew up around and later attended a Bible college that emphasized those same things. Thankful for a family who supported my desire to serve God as a missionary.
I know there are many things about God that I don't understand. But I'm thankful that at least on the basics I was given a solid foundation. And my life in Taiwan has just enforced those beliefs. As I told my Bible study group--If I believed that there was another way to Heaven than through Jesus I certainly wouldn't be living 12,000 miles away from my family. But the Bible says it so I believe it. If we don't believe that God is who He says He is how can we believe anything else the Bible tells us?
I know that God understands how indecisive and easily swayed I can be sometimes, He did create me after all. So maybe he arranged the days of my life so that in my "formative years" I would be so convinced of the truth that nothing would be able to sway me from it. Why me and not someone else? I have no idea. But to quote Spiderman's uncle Ben "With great power (knowledge? faith?) comes great responsibility." Yikes!
This weeks theme is "God can do what He says He can do". There might be some squirming this week.:-)
Favorite quote from week 2: Charles Darwin was fearfully and wonderfully made. He just never knew it.

A refuge for the poor, a shelter from the storm
This is our God
He will wipe away your tears and return your wasted years
This is our God
A father to the orphan, a healer to the broken
This is our God
He brings peace to our madness and comfort in our sadness
This is our God
A fountain for the thirsty, a lover for the lonely
This is our God
He brings glory to the humble and crowns for the faithful
This is our God
He is the One we have waited for
This is our God

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