I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14
African Delta – Every morning we would get up early and drive out into the African savannah and witness God’s creation in full bloom.
Read the Holy Scriptures as if God has already planted each word, each Spirit-led mediation into the heart of all humanity long before the first breath of life.
~Marjorie Speiser
taken from a true story…
One day Elena, who was a voracious student of the Holy Scriptures and a Biblical scholar by trade, came across a quote from Martin Luther who was thought to have said, “If I were younger, I would want to learn this language [Hebrew], for without it one can never properly understand the Holy Scripture… For that reason they have said correctly: ‘The Jews drink out of the original spring, the Greeks drink out of the stream flowing out of the stream, the Latins, however, out of the puddle.’” The article then went on to say, “We can only wonder how Luther would characterise those of us who read the Scriptures in modern English.”
Elena’s fiery spirit came to life. Get the horse before the cart Martin Luther! Though Elena didn’t agree with Martin Luther’s statement, she allowed her mind to wander remembering how much Hebrew had helped her in her studies. Her thoughts took her to the first chapter of the Bible, the creation story. There had been so many debates on the creation days. Was it a literal 24 hour period that God created each part of existence? What about evolution? The big bang theory? If one knew Hebrew, it could bring a certain amount of enlightenment on the subject.
She continued her line of thought. The stronger interpretation of ‘day” would not be a 24 hour period but a certain duration of time, with a beginning and an ending. She whispered to herself, knowing Hebrew would help bring creation debaters a little closer together. It also sharpens minds as the debating sword is wielded. But this isn’t where Elena’s mind was taking her. Knowing how God created the earth wasn’t on the top of her bucket list. She wanted to know what God wanted her to know, not the other way around. If God wanted her to understand something about Himself, he would make it very clear to her. Anything else was of lesser importance to her. God was too big to be placed into the little box of a human mind.
She began to think of analogies that supported her thinking. Placing an importance on knowing about God is like the need to know everything about the universe, studying it through a small telescope, day after day, year after year. One day, the opportunity to see Hubble images comes along. It reveals universes inside of other universes unseen previously. But even that isn’t enough. What else is out there? And where is God in all this? She continued her pondering. It is like watching hypothesis rise up about God, only to fall short time and time again. God and His ways are so beyond any human thought. Just like universes, black holes, other worlds.
Elena was always a little discouraged when she thought of parts of academia where great intellectual storehouses of thought came crashing down each decade after being hailed as truth. She surmised, unless we realise and accept that our mind was never meant to comprehend every facet of God, we will constantly be striving, ever seeking to fill the void, the dissatisfaction of not being able to explain the world around us or the God that created this world we live in. She went on in her thoughts. If God wanted us to know everything about Him, he would have given us the capacity to be omniscient…to know everything in all its totality.
Elena knew her limits and she knew her God. She thought of how easily many pass off answers on difficult topics. Why people suffer… Why God allows evil… Heaven and Hell and all the questions surrounding afterlife. She had long ago determined that grey areas are grey for a reason. Debating things she really didn’t know or understand wasn’t her strong suit. She was but dust in the hand of her God. So as an academic, discovery was important to her. Keep learning, keep inquiring. But ask the right questions. And look in the right places for answers. God, Your existence in my world is enough for me. When I try to make sense of Your world God, I will completely and utterly come up short every time.
She went on declaring to herself, knowing the Hebrew language might give a grain of understanding in knowing about God and the world He created but to me, it is far better to know Him deep in my heart… growing in understanding of Him in my world, accepting, believing, and having faith in God regardless of what I don’t fully comprehend. Elena bowed her head and prayed, Heavenly Father, there is much more than one universe of You out there. I have only seen such a small part of You. To study my Scripture would be the most intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical activity I could ever do in my life but not for the sake of knowing more about You God and living in your world, but knowing more about You living in my world.
Elena picked up the Bible and began reading in English, knowing full well that in whatever language she would read the Bible, those mighty words would pierce her body, soul, and spirit, releasing it’s supernatural power to transform her heart. No, she would always have a hunger to know more about God and His world. Anything God choses to give me about Himself in His world is bonus. But the desire of my heart is to never cease bringing You God into my world, the world You gave me, the world created for me, the world You designed for me. The day God became flesh and entered into my existence ushered in everything the world needs to know about God. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Saviour of the World, the Redeemer of all, the One who leads the charge for the living. And the One who holds the keys to mysteries untold. The mysteries God will reveal, has revealed.
Prayer: Help me to rest content in the fact that what you haven’t revealed to me, I do not need to know. That your world is far greater than anything I could ever fully understand. Give me the strength to leave what you have not told me alone. And walk by faith in the fact that you have planted your image on my heart long before I was ever born and you have given me the ability to understand your Word, no matter what the language. You, being the God above all, have revealed and will reveal to me exactly what is necessary to live a content and fulfilled life with you each day. This revelation is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. May He be my sole universe of thought, action, emotion, and source of life.
©2015 Thrive.