“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33, NLT)
Many people make the mistake of thinking that God is like us. Just because God walked in the Garden of Eden, spoke to people in their own language, and sent Jesus into this world as a man does not mean that God is wise like us. God is way beyond our reckoning. God’s knowledge is awesome! God’s judgements are wise and righteous. God does not think like a human. God is omniscient. His “thinking abilities” far exceed anything we can fathom.
Elizabeth Elliot, in her book Let Me Be a Woman, records the story of Gladys Aylward who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child, she had two great sorrows. One, that while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other, that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”
That’s the thing with the Almighty; God always knows what HE is doing. God is always aware of the ramifications of HIS actions. Where human reason may grow to a certain level, God’s wisdom and reasoning and knowledge knows no bounds. God is way more than humans will ever be.
Since God is so wise, why do human beings constantly question HIS judgments? Why do people mock HIS wisdom? In many social circles, if you bring up what the Bible says in a discussion about morality, some people will view you as socially backward. Should you argue for the existence of God with scientists, they often will look down upon your knowledge, seeing you as intellectually deficient. I have met many human beings who thought themselves much more adept than a colloquial God. I’ve even met Christians who questioned God’s choice of principles and ethics and morals and commandments, choosing which parts of the Bible to respect and which to ignore. I am reminded of the wealthy American man who was quoted as saying that God’s words to Moses should be labelled the “Ten Suggestions” not the “Ten Commandments”! This man viewed God’s law as worthy only to be questioned and subject to ridicule. I thought God was all-knowing and perfectly wise!
The scripture for today reiterates that God’s wisdom is far above human understanding. In Romans 11:33, the Apostle Paul exclaimed, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!” In awe of God’s amazing depth of understanding, Paul added, “How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Throughout his life, Paul made some big mistakes. Paul was very well learned. He was a Roman and Jewish. He was taught in some of the best Roman schools and the best Jewish schools. He studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel, who was hailed as one of the wisest teachers of his day (Acts 22:3)! Paul could speak in several languages. He could write in at least three that we know of, possibly as many as four. He was one of the brightest men of his age. And yet, Paul made some bonehead mistakes. He attacked Christians, doubting Jesus as the Savior. When Paul learned how stupid he had been to disrespect God in his actions, he revealed how little was his wisdom in relation to God’s greatness! Paul learned better than to doubt where God was sending him and what God was doing.
Many people, even very faithful Christians, doubted God at times. Just think of it. Peter questioned Jesus’ vision of the cross as a saving grace (Mark 8:33). Judas doubted Jesus’ leadership. Both men were later ashamed for their actions. I have learned in life not to doubt God’s wisdom and knowledge. When God causes me to go through some hardship, I know there is a reason for it. Throughout life’s twists and turns, I know God has a plan. I have learned that God’s wisdom and knowledge will always trump anything human beings can dream up. God’s ways are righteous. Human reasoning can be faulty, indeed! I have learned to put my full trust in my God. Will you?
When Jesus was nailed to a cross, many thought it was a shameful place for a Savior to find himself. They were wrong. The cross was the perfect place for Jesus to make HIS sacrifice for my sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it was God’s perfect way to teach us about the coming resurrection. Over and over, God’s wisdom proves to be right. Human doubts and faulty reasoning are constantly shown to be mistaken. God’s way never fails.
In today’s news, we were told about all the mistakes that were made by the governments of the world and the Centers for Disease Control concerning COVID-19 and the pandemic. Over and over, it has been proven that HUGE mistakes were made concerning the vaccines used in the pandemic. People put their total faith in science during the pandemic. As we are finding out now, that was a mistake. Our great scientists failed to protect us! Their decisions failed miserably! Leaders made huge mistakes like thinking the vaccine would cover COVID variants. The New York governor placed people with COVID in nursing homes for safe-keeping only to murder thousands of elderly residents there when the illness spread among that vulnerable population. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs in needless government mandates. The masks that they said would protect us were not adequate protection whatsoever! I could go on and on with the mistakes and errors in judgments that were made by the brightest minds of our time. Thankfully, I relied on God’s wisdom. When the scientists said something contrary to what God was telling me, I did not believe it. My faith was not disappointed. God’s way was far superior to human knowledge.
As we celebrate Holy Week in 2022, remember how great is God’s wisdom. Put your future in the hands of a God who is all-knowing. Obey God’s Word. Heed the direction of God’s Holy Spirit. Learn to trust God’s voice. Find grace in the love of Jesus Christ, who saves you! You won’t be disappointed.
Elizabeth Elliot, in her book Let Me Be a Woman, records the story of Gladys Aylward who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child, she had two great sorrows. One, that while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other, that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”
That’s the thing with the Almighty; God always knows what HE is doing. God is always aware of the ramifications of HIS actions. Where human reason may grow to a certain level, God’s wisdom and reasoning and knowledge knows no bounds. God is way more than humans will ever be.
Since God is so wise, why do human beings constantly question HIS judgments? Why do people mock HIS wisdom? In many social circles, if you bring up what the Bible says in a discussion about morality, some people will view you as socially backward. Should you argue for the existence of God with scientists, they often will look down upon your knowledge, seeing you as intellectually deficient. I have met many human beings who thought themselves much more adept than a colloquial God. I’ve even met Christians who questioned God’s choice of principles and ethics and morals and commandments, choosing which parts of the Bible to respect and which to ignore. I am reminded of the wealthy American man who was quoted as saying that God’s words to Moses should be labelled the “Ten Suggestions” not the “Ten Commandments”! This man viewed God’s law as worthy only to be questioned and subject to ridicule. I thought God was all-knowing and perfectly wise!
The scripture for today reiterates that God’s wisdom is far above human understanding. In Romans 11:33, the Apostle Paul exclaimed, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!” In awe of God’s amazing depth of understanding, Paul added, “How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Throughout his life, Paul made some big mistakes. Paul was very well learned. He was a Roman and Jewish. He was taught in some of the best Roman schools and the best Jewish schools. He studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel, who was hailed as one of the wisest teachers of his day (Acts 22:3)! Paul could speak in several languages. He could write in at least three that we know of, possibly as many as four. He was one of the brightest men of his age. And yet, Paul made some bonehead mistakes. He attacked Christians, doubting Jesus as the Savior. When Paul learned how stupid he had been to disrespect God in his actions, he revealed how little was his wisdom in relation to God’s greatness! Paul learned better than to doubt where God was sending him and what God was doing.
Many people, even very faithful Christians, doubted God at times. Just think of it. Peter questioned Jesus’ vision of the cross as a saving grace (Mark 8:33). Judas doubted Jesus’ leadership. Both men were later ashamed for their actions. I have learned in life not to doubt God’s wisdom and knowledge. When God causes me to go through some hardship, I know there is a reason for it. Throughout life’s twists and turns, I know God has a plan. I have learned that God’s wisdom and knowledge will always trump anything human beings can dream up. God’s ways are righteous. Human reasoning can be faulty, indeed! I have learned to put my full trust in my God. Will you?
When Jesus was nailed to a cross, many thought it was a shameful place for a Savior to find himself. They were wrong. The cross was the perfect place for Jesus to make HIS sacrifice for my sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it was God’s perfect way to teach us about the coming resurrection. Over and over, God’s wisdom proves to be right. Human doubts and faulty reasoning are constantly shown to be mistaken. God’s way never fails.
In today’s news, we were told about all the mistakes that were made by the governments of the world and the Centers for Disease Control concerning COVID-19 and the pandemic. Over and over, it has been proven that HUGE mistakes were made concerning the vaccines used in the pandemic. People put their total faith in science during the pandemic. As we are finding out now, that was a mistake. Our great scientists failed to protect us! Their decisions failed miserably! Leaders made huge mistakes like thinking the vaccine would cover COVID variants. The New York governor placed people with COVID in nursing homes for safe-keeping only to murder thousands of elderly residents there when the illness spread among that vulnerable population. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs in needless government mandates. The masks that they said would protect us were not adequate protection whatsoever! I could go on and on with the mistakes and errors in judgments that were made by the brightest minds of our time. Thankfully, I relied on God’s wisdom. When the scientists said something contrary to what God was telling me, I did not believe it. My faith was not disappointed. God’s way was far superior to human knowledge.
As we celebrate Holy Week in 2022, remember how great is God’s wisdom. Put your future in the hands of a God who is all-knowing. Obey God’s Word. Heed the direction of God’s Holy Spirit. Learn to trust God’s voice. Find grace in the love of Jesus Christ, who saves you! You won’t be disappointed.