Deists believe that “the supreme Architect” created the world and left it alone. Like a master clockmaker, He carefully crafted the universe and wound it up. Now it’s running on its own, no intervention necessary. No miracles, no special revelations. God may be watching from a distance, they say, but He isn’t active in our affairs. He’s simply there.
The writer of Hebrews has told us that those who come to God must believe that He is, but that isn’t enough. We also have to believe that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him – that pursuing Him makes a difference in how He responds to us. If we simply believe God is there, watching, or that we have to twist His arm to notice us or bless us, then we aren’t perceiving Him well. According to His own Word, He longs to bless us, to have compassion on us, to answer our prayers, and to enter into a deep relationship with us. He invites us to seek Him zealously and faithfully. And He assures us that when we do, He rewards.
If you really want to know and experience God more fully, you’ll have to approach Him with the expectation that He rewards those who seek Him. If you think He might respond, you’ll interpret any delays or hiddenness as reluctance on His part. If you think He only responds to those who live up to His standards, you’ll interpret any delays or hiddenness as a sign of failure on your part. But if you assume –by faith — that He is eager to respond to your pursuit of Him, you’ll begin to interpret all of life as a conversation with Him. And your awareness of His Presence will increase dramatically.
Excerpts from: Experiencing God’s Presence.
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