Beyond understanding

Read Romans 11:33-36

33       Oh,the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
              How unsearchable his judgments,
              and his paths beyond tracing out!
34       ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
              Or who has been his counsellor?’
35       ‘Who has ever given to God,
              that God should repay them?’
36       For from him and through him and for him are all things.
              To him be the glory for ever! Amen. (NIV)

A fish can freely swim in the ocean without a knowledge of oceanography. An eagle can soar in thermal currents without grasping any law of physics. You and I can enjoy the love of God without comprehending all there is to know about him. Enjoying and experiencing God is not simply a matter of our intellects becoming engaged in study of him-though nothing at all wrong with that.

We can believe God to be good without needing to define specifically just how his goodness is working out. We can trust him with our future without anticipating what that future might be. We don’t have to know exactly what he is doing to be able to get in on it and embrace it and delight in it.

Note that Paul praises God whilst acknowledging his limits of understanding. Our trust in him and/or praise of him is not dependent on our intellectual knowledge. It is good and proper that we might expand that knowledge,but always aware that there are limits. And always aware that such knowledge is only one part of our participation in the plans and purposes of God.

God has given us sufficient knowledge of himself so that we may confidently trust him. He has not given us exhaustive knowledge of himself. Faith and trust and praise and thanksgiving can gladly live with limitation and mystery.

Blessings
David Reay