Barely awake - and wondering. That was how my morning began. What if?
What if there is a god who is beyond our wildest imagination - a god that wasn't merely the god of thunder, or god of lightning, or one of the many gods of Greek mythology, the following just being the primary ones the Greeks believed in, worshipped, and prayed to:
Zeus - Greek god of the sky and king of Olympus, whose temper affected the weather; and who (in Greek culture) was ruler over all other gods and goddesses
Ares - Greek god of war, and son of Zeus and Hera, a cruel god who was not even liked by his own parents
Aphrodite - Greek goddess of love and beauty; also goddess of fertility
Hera - (wife of Zeus) Greek goddess of women, marriage, and queen of the gods, also goddess of families and birth, who took her vengeance our on other goddesses and on mortals
Demeter - Goddess of harvest and agriculture, controlled seasons and crops
Athena - Greek goddess of war and wisdom, and patron God of Athens
Apollo - Greek god of the sun, music, poetry, art, dance, archery & healing
Artemis - Greek goddess of the hunt and the wild; twin sister of Apollo
Hephaestus - Greek god of fire, metalworking, and sculpture
Hermes - The messenger god, who became messenger of the gods, as well as being the protector of travelers and merchants
Dionysus - Greek god of wine, theatre, and fertility
These are just the primary gods who were worshipped by the Greeks. They built altars to them, sacrificed to them, believed that all of the terrors that befell them were because of them.
The internet cites that Hindus have twelve primary deities: Vivasvan, Aryaman, Tvashta, Savitr, Bhaga, Dhata, Mitra, Varuna, Amsa, Pushan, Indra, Vishnu (in the form of Varnana). But other Hindu deities are also mentioned: Brahma, Ganesha, Shiva, Lakshmi, Krishna, Shiva, Hanuman, Saraswati, Indra, Rama, Agni, Ardhanarishvara, Durga, Nataraja, Parvati, Trimurti, Bjairava, and Shakti.
Native American tribes have a total of 73 deities listed in Wikipedia. Mind-boggling!
Throughout time man has created many different images of his own making because deep inside there is a need to worship something greater than ourselves - to have something we can believe in whose will for life here on earth is beyond our control. In ancient Biblical times we can read about the god Baal, and the Asherah poles, which were a representation of the goddess Asherah. Even in our era, there are images of Buddha that are part of worship for those who follow Buddhism, and in India cattle are revered as holy. (The more I dig to try to learn more, the more I realize I do not know about ancient religious cultures.)
Even though this is just a cursory glance into the creation of gods throughout time, it is enough to make me wonder "What if?"
What if there is a god who is so amazing that he could speak the world into existence? A god so close that he cares about each one of us? A god who loves humanity enough to come die for us so we can be in a relationship with him? Not a religion, but an actual relationship? What if there is a god who actually hears our prayers, loves us in spite of our failures? What if?
The good news is: THERE IS!
And in Exodus 20:3 God - the Almighty God who created the entire universe - tells us in the very first of the 10 commandments: You shall have no other gods before Me! Not other gods that are represented by carvings or statues. Not our children, or sports, or cars, or position in life, or wealth, or beauty. Nothing is to come before God - but when we put him first, he is generous and gracious, and honors our heart's desires unless they will dishonor him or become a stumbling block to us.
There is only ONE God - the One who created the entire universe - and you! And me! And he alone deserves our praise and adoration!
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