By Chris WittsWednesday 23 Oct 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
Transcript:
In the previous two parts, I’ve been talking about how God moves in mysterious ways. There’s a wonderful verse in Romans 11:33 (New Living Translation) that says: “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!”
So many people find hope in God. So did the psalmist in Psalm 119:49: “Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.” Maybe you will be disappointed when I say that God is so great that you’ll never fully understand him!
God’s nature is mind-boggling
So, while you can know God, he is so majestic our finite human minds can never fully comprehend all there is to know about him. You may wonder if it’s possible to know someone without truly understanding them.
Well, I don’t understand everything about my wife, but I know her, and I love her. That’s what makes marriage exciting; it’s a never-ending quest to know each other better. If you’ve ever heard someone say to their spouse, I’ve got you figured out, you can know that they’re lying. If you ever hear someone say, I’ve got God figured out you know they are also mistaken.
The Apostle Paul is so overwhelmed by the greatness and majesty of God he breaks out with these words in Romans 11:33-36:
Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does? Has anyone known the thoughts of the Lord or given him advice? Has anyone lent something to the Lord that must be repaid? Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of Him and will return to Him.
How inspiring to notice what these verses are saying. All things are from him—God is the source of everything. All things are through him—he is the course of life. All things are to him—he is the force of all life.
Do you agree that God’s greatness is mind-boggling? Look at the stars and planets for example. The psalmist writes: “I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put into place. Then I ask Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?” (Psalm 8:3-4). See, the same God who created the planets and stars is interested in us.
In Isaiah 40:12 we read, “God has measured the heavens with the span of His hand.” Wow! And that’s just our solar system! And scientists tell us there are over 300 billion stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. And there are millions and millions of galaxies comprised of billions of stars comprised of trillions of planets. And God says, “I measured the heavens with my hand.”
What does this make me feel? I’m a microscopic speck of dust. And yet this God who created the universe told me he cares for me like a Father, and that every hair of my head is numbered. So, remember, you’ll never fully comprehend everything about God: he is mysterious but he’s so great. But don’t let that stand in the way of having a personal relationship with him!
God has revealed his greatest mystery: Jesus
Don’t you love a good mystery? There’s been TV shows about ‘unsolved mysteries’, and amazingly many cases have been solved by viewers. Many people think God is the same way. They think his ways are so mysterious they are beyond our understanding. Perhaps the phrase God moves in mysterious ways was coined because in the Bible, God often did the unexpected.
For instance, instead of using Moses when he was 40-years-old, God waited until Moses was 80—that’s moving in a mysterious way! Instead of using Gideon’s army of 32,000 soldiers, God told Gideon to whittle his ranks down until only 300 soldiers remained—that’s pretty mysterious! God seldom acts or moves the way we think he should. It certainly wouldn’t be the way we would plan it. Instead of having the Messiah, the King of the Jews born in a great palace, he was born to a peasant girl in a barn. Instead of having the Messiah placed on a great throne of gold, God had the Messiah nailed to a cross of wood. Unexpected? God specialises in the unexpected.
In the New Testament, the word ‘mystery’ had nothing to do with a who-done-it story. Our English word comes from the Greek word musterion. It’s a word meaning ‘that which is beyond the range of natural understanding’. It can only be made known by God. While much of what God does qualifies as mysterious, the Bible teaches us that God has chosen to reveal his greatest mystery to us. And that mystery is Jesus. That’s why Paul said: “For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God’s people…And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God’s glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27)
How are you relating to Jesus right now? There’s a good way, a better way, and the best way to have hope. Do you have a sense that Christ is for you? That’s good, he is. Do you have a sense that Jesus is with you, that’s even better! Wonderful. But do you understand what it means for Christ to be in you? That’s the best!