Written By: Joseph L. Ushie
A mother had just served breakfast to her son before setting out for her day's business. She also kept lunch for him, to be taken after noon. But no sooner did the woman leave than the young boy went and adjusted the arms of the clock to read noon, and went ahead to take his lunch. Everywhere else was just a little past 9.00 am!
At the time it appeared to be noon to that boy, the rest of the world was past 9.00 am, completely unaffected by the boy's wishes and actions.
Such is the illusion of many African youths in their little world and in their small circle of deluded friends, where they console themselves with suiting arguments that the Bible is a bunch of myths. Meanwhile, the Bible itself pities them, knowing that “their trouble is that they are only comparing themselves with each other and measuring themselves against their little ideas. What stupidity!” (2 Corinthians 10:12).
When you consider that these young Africans who challenge the Bible don’t see anything wrong with other religious books that are worse in content and potency, you will see reasons to pity them for toying with a precious opportunity, both now and forever. At the height of their pride, they ought to pause and ponder, ‘What if the Bible is true?’, considering the many surprises and disappointments that are often experienced. Best exams often turn out with poor grades; best friends often turn out as traitors, etc.
African youths in this habit should expect the worst trouble from the Bible's claim that God made us (Psalm 100:3). No product or possession dares to treat its owner that way. You throw off any of your pair of slippers that 'challenge' you (by refusing to perform). You cancel and rewrite any sentence that doesn't meet the test. As a mother you even approve abortion of any fetus that threatens your life. And dare you question the veracity and validity of God's infallible word in the Bible and not suffer damage! “Shall the thing made say to him who made it, 'He did not make me?' Or shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'He has no understanding?'" (Isaiah 29:16)
You should pause and weigh your overall importance in the scheme of things. Stop and ask how much of your opinion is consulted before anything is done, anywhere. How much do you weigh in your family, school, community or national affairs, to begin with? How many people seek your opinion before they do anything, just to prove how important or indispensable you are? In fact, how many people care that you exist in the first place?
Most likely none. It's doubtful if neighbours know you, much less depend on you for anything. And yet you think your opinion on the Bible matters as much as one-trillionth of a grain of sand! It is written, "What if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar" (Romans 3:3-4).
Young Africans who labour to discredit the Bible don't know how much they are indebted to it. Many would never have been born if Christianity hadn't saved their forefathers from such barbaric practices like the slave trade, cannibalism and ritual sacrifices that characterized pre-Christian Africa. Young Africans' knowledge of grammar was learned in Christian schools. Their being alive under heinous African regimes is because of faithful Bible believers who intercede on their behalf.
And you, in particular, know that more accomplished agnostics have risen and fallen, while the Bible marches on and even attends their funerals. Vladimir Ilitch Ulianov, the Russian revolutionary popularly known as Lenin, once said in his hay days, "Every religious idea, every idea of God, even flirting with the idea of God, is unutterable vileness of the most dangerous kind, contagion of the most abominable kind. Millions of sins, filthy deeds, acts of violence and physical contagion, are far less dangerous than the subtle, spiritual idea of God." Yet when he felt threatened by an anti-communist band led by General Kornilov, Lenin’s bodyguard heard him praying, "May God grant that we escape"!
You will come to Lenin’s experience, sooner or later. All agnostics have come there too, at one time or another.
The conclusion of the matter is this: Like that young boy created noon out of 9.00 am while the rest of the world moved on unaffected, your opinion on the Bible amounts to nothing beyond those with whom you share your depravity. You have one of two options to look at the issue: stay deceived in your cubicle and face the wrath of the Bible’s God, or receive the Bible’s message through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord and be saved. Either way, you will face God, sooner or later, and prove that it is a dreadful thing to do so (Hebrews 10:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
"Ant, therefore, will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment ... he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee" (Isaiah 30:18-19).
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