That was a question asked by one of my new Year 6 Scripture class last week. Not a bad challenge to start the year! After all, this is perhaps the most serious question that all of us have to answer. If God is not real then we are essentially left to our own devices, to struggle along through life as best we can. If God is not real then we have very little hope apart from the humanistic dream that we are evolving into something better. And, judging by the evidence so far, that dream has no substance.

However, if God is real, then we are faced with the further questions of what that means for our life here and now. If God is real then we have to take seriously his demands upon us.

Quite frankly, judging by the lives of most church goers, there is no evidence that God is real. Studies in recent years have concluded that there is no observable difference between the lives of church goers and non-churchgoers. In terms of ethical standards, concern for others and general attitudes to life, those who went to church were not significantly different to those who didn’t.

I thank God that such is not true for many within our own congregation. For many years we have encouraged folk to testify about what God was doing in their lives, and we have heard many wonderful stories. In another class last week one of the Scripture helpers had the children sitting open-mouthed as she told of the way God had been working in her family.

But, how true is that for the rest of us? How real is God in our life todav? I remember hearing a story that came out of the East African Revival about 50-60 years ago. A missionary visited one of the Revival meetings and was asked by the African leader to give his testimony. He began to tell how, many years before as a young man, he had given his life to Jesus. However, the African interrupted him rather sharply and said: "That is history! We want to know what God has done for you today!"

I believe when young people ask "Is God real?" they are not very impressed by stories of what God did 2-3000 years ago. They want to know if God is real today! In fact, two other children asked "Can God speak to me ?" This is exciting stuff! It gets to the heart of what Biblical faith is all about. But it is also dangerous!

Who knows what might happen if God begins speaking to our children! What if he reveals things we would rather have hidden. Look what happened when God spoke to the young boy Samuel (1 Sam. 3:1--18). Someone shared at the Willoughby Prayer Meeting last Wednesday about a wonderful vision that God had given them about something which happened a few days later. But, when he told his adult son, the son’s reaction was "Dad, you’ve finally flipped!"

Is God real? This question challenges us in all areas of life. It challenges our attitude to money, and the worry that so many have in this area. Can we trust God to provide for us, as He has promised ? Is God real in the work place ? Can we trust Him to look after us even though we may suffer if we are honest ?

Can we trust God with our children ? Is God real when it comes to our health, and the health of our loved ones ? Can we expect that the God who healed the sick in the past will still do so today, or is that now the province of the doctors and alternative medicine ?

I find that in my own life, and in the lives of others there are constant challenges on the question of whether or not God is real. Someone confessed to me recently that they have terrible problems with worry. Yet the Bible tells us in several places not to worry . We are to throw all our cares onto God, for He cares for us! (1 Peter 5:7). We can only do that, and let our cares go, if we are certain that God is real, and His promises are real.

Of course, you cannot prove God is real. Not in the way you can prove a mathematical formula or a scientific theory . You cannot put God in a test tube and subject Him to controlled examination. Belief in the reality of God must always be a matter of Faith. As the writer to the Hebrews states: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb 11: 1) Yet, biblical faith is very different to foolish superstition. The Bible presents us with a wealth of evidence of God’s working amongst, and speaking to His people over centuries. And it encourages us to look for such activity today. Jesus challenged His followers to believe His words or, at least, to believe on the evidence of the miracles. He then went on to say that anyone who believed in Him would do what he had been doing! (John 14:11,12)

"Is God real?" When you stop to consider it, that child asked a most profound question. I pray that he or she might get a satisfactory answer, from all of us.