Last Sunday I was in a store looking for nasal strips. While I was searching, I did spend a moment looking at a red inflatable cushion. On the outside of the box it said it could be used for travel. We are filming Season Five of our television program in Israel in May, and so I seriously considered buying it for the 30 hours of flying. The most comfortable of seats can feel uncomfortable after such a long time. I’m not sure why I didn’t buy it. I guess I must have been distracted by something else, or my mind was on the atheist debate I had coming up that afternoon.
Fast-forward to Tuesday’s mail. An atheist named James Wissick (blog name Jim Diver) kindly sent me a gift with an accompanying card. The card read: “To help you feel better after your appearance on The Atheist Experience.” I could hardly believe my eyes! I was delighted to get the gift--because it was the exact same inflatable cushion I had been looking at in the store. James bought it for me on the very same day I looked at it. God bless him (see Psalm 37:4).
Of course, this isn’t proof of God’s existence. Creation is proof of that. Then conscience confirms His moral requirements, the Commandments show us we need a Savior, and conversion allows us to know Him and His mercy.
Rubber ring experiences just show me that God stays with the principles of His Word. The Bible tells us that the ungodly fall into the pit that they dig. God “confounds” them in their schemes. I have seen it happen many times. He promises to work out for good, anything that happens to those that love Him (see Romans 8:28).
What Joseph's brothers intended for evil, God turned to his good, and any of us who trust in the Lord will never be disappointed. Even those who were tortured for their faith in Jesus by the Catholic church at the Spanish inquisition (and the many Christians they burned at the stake), will not be disappointed. On the Day of Resurrection you will see that "not one hair on their head will perish."
Never underestimate the power and faithfulness of the One who created the language of DNA. He's not the old man in the sky you think He is—"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33).
Take for example my popular nick-name. Years ago I was embarrassed when I was called “The Banana-man,” but now it makes me smile as I see what a huge platform I have to atheists because of it. Many of you are reading this because of that dumb analogy. It also sets a very low bar for me when it comes to interviews with atheists. Hosts and listeners are amazed that I’m able to string a complete sentence together, and that often works for my good.
