Picture two men dying in adjacent hos­pital beds. One man believes he will soon meet his Creator. The other believes he will encounter nothing when he dies.

Although we know nothing more about these men, we can conjecture some things about their lives up to this crucial moment. The person who believes that God is his Creator lives differently from the person who says God does not exist.

How did the man live who loved his Creator? Knowing life is short and eternity is forever, he paid special attention to his Creator’s directives and rested in His love. He found meaning and purpose by making his Creator’s goals the aim of his life.

The man who thought life ended with nothing pursued meaning and purpose (but didn’t find them) through pleasure, work, or success. Believing that it didn’t matter, he ignored his Creator. Now he faces death unprepared.

The Bible says of such a man, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

God created all things. Think of the beauty, wonder, and greatness of our universe, from the far-flung galaxies to the microscopic complexity of the information crammed into your DNA.

If God created this world (and you and me), what kind of God is He?

God is caring. He has provided for all our needs and loves His creation.

God is great beyond imagination. God is much greater than His great creation.

God is creative beyond imagination. The beauty and variety of God’s work boggles our minds.

God is wise beyond imagination. He knows all there is to know about His creation.

God is orderly and logical. The world God made is governed by laws and cause-and-effect.

God is powerful beyond imagination. To put all this in place and make it continue to work requires power far beyond any we know of.

The Bible tells us God created the human race in His own image. Thus, we can commu­nicate with Him, and we have a soul that will never cease to exist. God made nothing else as special as humans.

What does being created by God mean for you and me?

We are loved. God shows His love in ways we may hardly even notice. We live on an earth created specifically to meet the needs of humans. The earth has food and water and is neither too cold nor too hot.

God gave us each a never-dying soul inside an amazing body. We are incredibly gifted with the ability to think and move.

He provides salvation from sin—here, and in eternity—through His Son. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Our lives can have meaning. Without God, life and the universe are meaningless. Plea­sure, fame, or power don’t fill our emptiness. True satisfaction in life comes only through making the Creator part of our life.

When we are in tune with and obey our Creator, we find the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Our lives can have purpose. Life can be hard, confusing, and unfair. For the person without God in his life, the chaos and pain only adds to his sense of meaninglessness.

Those who know God see beyond suffer­ing to His eternal purposes. They know God is in control and has a purpose for the universe and for them.

Knowing God, we trust Him to guide us through life and death. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

We are accountable. Because God made us and gave us life, we are accountable to Him for how we live. In the Bible God tells us how to live. To those who know Him, He gives power to live that way.

We can have hope. The world is a scary place. The unbeliever sees evil all around him, but he doesn’t see himself as part of the problem.

The believer has seen the evil in himself and has turned to his Creator to save him. God has saved him, making him into a new creation in Christ Jesus, one who hates sin and loves God. The believer leaves his old life of doubt and sin, having received a new life of love, hope, and God-likeness.

Knowing the Creator, we also know He will right every wrong and will eradicate evil. We know this world’s state of affairs is temporary.

Two men, ready to die. Both will meet God. Which one are you like?

Do you want a life worth living? Seek your Creator. He says, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

“The fool hath said . . . There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

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Keith Crider

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Christian Light Publications

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