Five-minute read.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Psalm 139:6
Unattainable knowledge.
Nothing occurs to God; He already knows everything.[i] When I came across this note in Vine’s Expository, it struck me. How sad God never gets the joy of something occurring to Him for the first time.
Just this morning, I had an epiphany about my thought life. When God opens my eyes to a new truth, the first time something occurs to me, it frees me. Today’s freedom moment came when I realized I don’t have to think about a thought just because I have it.
For instance, I’ve started a strength training program to help battle aging. Since I began, my body weight increased. When I weighed myself today and saw the higher number reflected, I thought. “What a loser, doing all this hard work, and all you do is gain weight.”
But then I began coaching myself. Reminding myself consistent practice pays off. Even though I don’t see the results immediately, I must keep going, and eventually, it will all come together. Life has big moments, but most come from a string of repeated moments that lead to victory. Books don’t get finished the day you start writing them. I didn’t gain ten pounds in one day; good or bad, things happen over time. And the coaching continued until the positive thoughts took root, and I let go of the negative ones.
In other words, I don’t have to attach to the thought; I can let it go. And I can attach myself to the positive, life-giving thoughts that keep me moving forward. I find it thrilling when things occur to me for the first time, and I learn something new that helps me live more abundantly.
But God never has things occur to Him. He already knows everything there is to know. I will never truly understand the Lord’s sovereignty on this side of heaven; just too much for this human mind to grasp. And even though my Maker never has anything occur to Him, I bet He rejoices when I do.
Each step of faith we take, every truth we believe, every lie we debunk pleases the Lord. Creator of the Universe, nothing thrills God more than when we discover new things about ourselves and the world. Becoming more like Christ happens over a lifetime. The results will eventually show themselves. Nothing happens immediately for us, nor did God design life that way. To arrive at any destination, we must take the journey.
How our Mighty Heavenly Father knows everything, I will never understand completely. But I trust the Lord’s wisdom. Spending my waking hours trying to attain God’s thoughts will lead to frustration. Our Creator didn’t design us to know everything; the Lord made us to trust. Our life begins when we submit it to God and build a relationship with Him.
Just like starting a new exercise program, repeated practice creates confidence. The more we spend time with our Maker, the more faith we will have in His grand design. And we will begin to accept that we can’t know everything God knows, but we can trust Him anyway.
Application:
Accept the unknown.
Walking by faith means I must accept not getting answers to all my questions. In a world filled with sinners, including myself, bad things will happen. But we can find peace when we trust God’s sovereignty and ability to know everything. The Lord promises to make all things work to the good for those who believe and trust in Him. Instead of asking why, we can begin to question what? What do you want me to learn from this situation, Lord? We don’t have to know all the whys because we know the One who does.
Trust God’s sovereignty.
Journaling Questions:
- What baffles you about God’s sovereignty?
- How can you become comfortable not knowing all the answers?
- What do you think the Lord’s teaching you today?
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for questioning Your sovereignty. Instead of asking why, help me start asking what. Teach me Your ways; allow me to become comfortable living in the unknown, trusting Your knowledge. Thank You for guiding and directing us, loving us with every step we take. Help me become more like Christ as I follow You. IJNIP. Amen
[i] Vines Expository Bible Notes: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+139%3A6&version=ESV
