Known and Unknown — A LifeWords Devotion

“Can you solve the mysteries of God?
    Can you discover everything about the Almighty?
Such knowledge is higher than the heavens—
    and who are you?
It is deeper than the underworld—
    what do you know? (NLT)

Beware of those who reckon they have got God figured out. The ones who claim to have inside knowledge of his plans, the ones who compile some exhaustive character study from various bible texts plucked out of Scripture.

Job’s comforters got lots wrong, but this comforter spoke the truth when he reminded Job of the unknowable dimensions of God’s character and being. Elsewhere we read his ways are not our ways, his thoughts not our thoughts. Once we think we have figured out God, we have in fact created an idol.

Then again, God has made himself known. Creation bears testimony to him. The Scriptures witness to him. And supremely, Jesus shows us what he is like. God may be mysterious but He is not anonymous. He is not hiding from us to safeguard his privacy or maintain his dignity. It is just that, being God, he is ultimately beyond our comprehension. He belongs to a different order of being. Jesus helpfully crosses the bridge spanning divinity and humanity. Even then, mystery remains.

God has provided us not with exhaustive knowledge of himself, but sufficient knowledge of himself so that we can respond to his offer of friendship. We can both know God personally and yet not know all there is to know about him.

Blessings

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

David