PROVOKING THE EYES OF GOD’S GLORY

God dislikes the United States far more than he dislikes Nigeria.

If God were to tell you to choose between a Volkswagen Beetle and a Mercedes Benz (and I am speaking strictly hypothetically), always choose the worst car.  God prefers the worst to the best.  He hates the good things of life.

It is not that God likes bad things but that he prefers them to good things.  Bad things don’t compete with God; but good things do.  Thus, Jesus says: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). 

The good things God himself gives are eternal things of the Spirit. 

Abomination of modern technology

God cannot stand cars.  Every time he sees one, he is disgusted.  The more beautiful the car, the more expensive and sophisticated it is, the more disgusted God is.  Jesus says: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15).  Luxurious cars are highly esteemed among men; therefore God hates them with a vengeance.

God hates all modern appliances.  He hates airplanes, computers, televisions, cell-phones and other marvels of today’s technology.  John notes that: “All that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). 

Every technological marvel originates from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That means every invention of man has both the good and the evil combined in it.  That space-ship that takes men to outer space will one day fall out of the sky.  That snazzy gold-plated bullet-proof Jeep will sooner than later refuse to start.  That wonder drug is also full of negative side-effects.

But the blessing of the Lord adds no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

Built-in obsolescence

Man will never produce anything truly good.  We will never create an everlasting battery.  We will never manufacture a telescope that sees into the future.  It is only a matter of time before that famous iphone of yours breaks down.  When it does, take note, because God is sending you a message: “Except the Lord builds they labour in vain that build” (Psalms 127:1).  Everything man-made is substandard because God has something far better to offer.

Why would God be impressed with the inventions of today when he already knows they are inferior to those of tomorrow?  If God were impressed with cars, why did Jesus come to earth before they were invented?  Why not wait until now, so he can drive around in an air-conditioned Land Rover on his missionary journeys, instead of going about on foot two thousand years ago?  Why did he use a donkey, instead of a chariot, when he made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem?  The answer is that the chariot is man-made but the donkey is God-made.

Isaiah says every mountain and hill must be brought low before the glory of the Lord shall be revealed (Isaiah 40:4-5).  High things exalt themselves against the knowledge of God; but low things don’t.  If we love beautiful cars; beautiful houses; beautiful places; or beautiful people; we cannot appreciate the glory of God.  Their beauty would obscure God’s glory from us.  Jesus himself was not handsome.  Isaiah says: “he had no beauty to attract us to him” (Isaiah 53:3).

God dislikes the U.S.A.

They call the United States “God’s own country,” but that is just presumptive.  God dislikes the United States.  He dislikes the United States far more than he dislikes Nigeria.  God prefers Nigeria to the United States because Nigeria is poorer and the United States is richer.  Precisely because more men would like to go to the United States than would like to come to Nigeria, God dislikes the United States more than Nigeria.

The United States “provokes the eyes of God’s glory” (Isaiah 3:8).  God is jealous because the desire of men to go to the United States militates against their desire to enter into his kingdom.  When Jesus told his disciples he was returning to heaven, they became exceedingly sad (John 16:5-6).  But when we tell men we are going to the U.S.A., they are excited and happy for us.

Many years ago, I went to the American Embassy to apply for a visitor’s visa.  The place was full of people, anxiously waiting to be interviewed.  Some were praying for success.  Others were congratulating those who were successful.  Still others were commiserating with those whose applications were rejected.

Then the Lord asked me a question pregnant with meaning.  He said: “Femi, where are you all going?”

It was a rhetorical question.  We were all going nowhere.  “Nowhere” is a place called the United States.