Last week Emmy on my team gave the rest of us on the team a challenge to write a letter to Nepal from God. She had given us some inspiration from Psalm 18 but little direction aside from that. So I was like, “I love a good challenge and I need a blog idea. So let me just start writing and see where this ends up”. So I did just that and this is what came from it.
Throughout our month in Nepal I have been to a Hindu orphanage, Hindu preschool, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, and seen false gods over pretty much every door I have seen, wether is is a snack shop, clothing store, or hotel or home. Everywhere I turned, at every street corner there was a shrine to a Hindu god. I saw people place their whole worth in these gods and devote their lives to pleasing them and sacrificing to them animals, money, flowers and other offerings. However, they do not realize that these gods can in no way bring them fulfillment, lasting peace, and true joy. That only comes from the one true God who created heaven and earth and willing paid the ultimate sacrifice so we could dwell with him forever in heaven. No god here did that for its people. This time in Nepal has broken my heart even more for what breaks God’s heart, his lost and broken children.
To my lost children,
You have turned from me, you hide your faces behind your idols of gold and vibrant colors.
You praise beings with many eyes yet they do not see your sufferings like I do.
You praise beings with many arms who appear to do many tasks at once yet they do not stop to help you in your sufferings like I do.
You praise other gods for things that I have created for you to marvel at and remember my greatness.
You build large statues yet they are hallow inside.
They cannot answer your prayers, fulfill you, or bring you lasting joy.
In your heart you know this yet you still seek after them.
Your heart yearns for these things, to believe in something greater than yourselves because I made you that way.
I made you that way, not intending to leave you in that emptiness but so that you would recognize your need for me and I could love you, and fulfill
That is how I designed you.
But you have chosen your false gods, your idols made of gold, wood, or paper
Your earthly temples stained with the blood of sacrifices.
But what you don’t realize is I paid the ultimate sacrifice so that you would no longer need to.
I was the blameless lamb sacrificed for your sins
All of the sins of the world, past, present, and future were laid on me and I took the punishment meant for you
Death
But you have rejected me
You have left me with no other choice but to show you that I am still your God, greater than any gods you have created in my place.
You will not be satisfied by your idols
You will work each day trying to find fulfillment but you will not be satisfied with where you are
Your life will be hard
You will yearn for peace but you will not find it in your idols, society, or other religions
It will be this way because you have turned from me
From now until the day you recognize me again your hearts will be hardened like stone.
Until you turn to me and only me, then I will take from your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
I will restore your family, bring joy to your lives, and fulfill your hearts.
Because I love you no matter how many times you turn from me, when you turn back and seek forgiveness you shall surely receive it.
The door will always be open to you
You will always have a seat at my table
When you cry out to me I will answer
In times of trouble I will remember you
Because you are my children
Because I love you
Your Father in Heaven.
