ONE MYSTERIOUS GOD

Isaiah 46:8-11
8 "Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."

My wife and I have a great relationship--but we don't always understand each other completely. For instance, it's a great mystery to her how I can spend my evening watching a baseball game between two teams that are 20 games out of first place with 5 games left in the season. And for the life of me, I cannot understand the mystery of shopping--how she can spend hours looking at endless rows of hanging cloth. To love someone doesn't mean you have to understand him or her completely.

That's good news for all of us, because there's no way on earth we can even begin to grasp the mysteries of God. He sometimes does things that absolutely floor us, because they seem so inexplicable.

In our finite and self-centered way of thinking, we cannot begin to know why God allows suffering, why God permits innocent young children and teenagers to die, why God does not act when evil leaders come to power and hurt their own people, or why natural disasters are allowed to wreak havoc. Some people look at these situations and turn their back on God--assuming that their finite knowledge is better than His infinite wisdom.

There's another way to look at this, though. If we could figure God out--if He were no more than a glorified human with no greater knowledge than the smartest human--where would be the awe, the majesty, the transcendent view of the Almighty? One of the best reasons to believe that God is so great is that we simply cannot figure Him out.

Perhaps the apostle Paul said it best when he wrote, "Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" (1 Corinthians 2:16). He was quoting Isaiah, who also asked the rhetorical question, "Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him?" (Isaiah 40:14).

Yes, God's ways are mysterious. It's great to trust in One who knows everything from the beginning to the end. Even when we don't understand--we can trust. --Dave Branon

destination
points

* What mysteries of God trouble me the most? Do I talk to Him about my questions?
* When I see the bad things that happen in this world, how do I react? How do I know God is trustworthy?

LINKS:
Why Would A Good God Allow Suffering?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0106

How Much Does God Control?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0109

bottom line: If God weren't mysterious, He wouldn't be God.

soul journey