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Pioneer and Bell Church of Christ

HAVE WE PUT GOD IN THE CLOSET?

If coming out of the closet means making something public, then putting something in the closet means taking it out of public view. It used to be in this country that references to God and acknowledgment of God was public. Now however, the majority of references to God in a public way is profane and is acceptable to most. To mention God or refer to Him in a respectful way leads to ridicule and public censure. It would seem that we have placed God in the closet out of sight and rapidly becoming out of mind. When we force God out of the public square, we are placing Him in a closet.

As God is increasingly forced into the closet, we Christians will find ourselves like Daniel when his political opponents could find no occasion nor fault in him. They determined they would find it against him concerning the law of his God. They had a decree made that anyone who made a petition of any god or man for 30 days, save to the king, would be cast into the den of lions. What did Daniel do? Daniel 6:10 says, "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." How have we responded to the court rulings and laws concerning prayer in our country? Have they not modified our prayer behavior? Have not our prayer customs changed? Unlike Daniel, have we closed the windows of our room? Have we not moved God into the closet, but maybe we are keeping the door open yet still? James 4:17 says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." This applies to a whole range of behavior.

Hopefully, we have not come to the point that the nation of Judah had come to when God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 14:11, "Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this people for their good." Perchance that we can yet say, "32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." (Lamentations 3:32--33), keeping in mind the promise of Jesus in Matthew 10:32, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." If you have put God in the closet, reach in there and bring Him out so you can once more walk with Him. One thing is sure, if you have put God in the closet, you are not walking anywhere with Him.

 

Charles Royal, Decatur AL