Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

It is interesting that those at the foot of the cross didn’t recognize that Jesus was quoting the first line of Psalm 22. That Psalm is an amazingly specific and accurate description of what Jesus experienced on Golgotha. Jesus knew ahead of time what would happen, and He went into it with open eyes, because of His love for the Father and for mankind. The taunts of the Pharisees, recorded a few verses before this, show that they knew exactly what they were doing; they just refused to believe Jesus was Who He said He was. In their minds, anyone who claimed to be the Son of God had to be a fraud, because God becoming man would be too personal, too demanding of accountability. This is the same motive for perhaps the majority of atheists today. If they acknowledge that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16) then they are accountable for believing in Him with obedience for their own salvation. They can’t stand that! Atheism doesn’t come from an objective examination of the evidence, it comes from a prior refusal to submit to a Creator. Regardless of how you interpret the chronology of Genesis, for example, an objective examination of all the evidence will lead you to the conclusion that there had to be a Creator, and once that is established, everything else falls into place.

I deal with only one stated atheist, whom I love dearly, and his problem at this point is pride. He has lived a long and successful life, and he doesn’t want to acknowledge that he was wrong all along. It’s not that he’s a bad person; quite the contrary. However, he’s as much a sinner as every other human being, and just as much in need of God’s saving grace. I am not to attack his position in his presence, but rather in prayer. I need to stand firm on his behalf against the lying spirits that have bound him, so that God’s truth may penetrate those bonds and set him free. Intellect will never win him to Christ, but God’s love and grace will, so I need to be an open channel for that love and grace.

Father, I know that You love the people around me more than I do, however much I might love them. You desire their salvation more than I do, however much I might desire it. Guide me in being an effective tool in Your hands to work Your will in their hearts and lives, bringing them from darkness to light, from death to life, for a mighty harvest in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!