Learning this all over again

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 loaned 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. Praise the Lord forever! Amen.  (Romans 11:33-36) 

If we are used to measuring things, such as the length of something, or the content within a particular container, after a while we all can pretty much eyeball something and tell just about how much is in that container or how long the object is.  Why?  We become so accustomed to the container or the object we are measuring we just know when we see it. It has to do with how frequently we observe that object. There are things I "know" because I have observed them over and over again until I developed an awareness.  I wonder if we can get to know God's ways of dealing in our lives in much the same manner and develop this "knowing" which helps us to be aware at any given moment when he is about to move, speak, challenge us?  I think it might just be possible we get to know him well enough we can appreciate his movement quicker. We might think we know things like God does, but let me just assure you - - - we have only begun to experience his wealth, appreciate his wisdom, and bask in his knowledge!

I think it is possible to get close enough to God's heart that we begin to understand his movement and interpret his actions a lot quicker or easier.  It is because of the frequency of contact we have with him - the multitude of opportunities we have to observe how he moves or acts - that we become "familiar" with these movements and actions. It isn't because we gain the "mind" of God and rise to his level of wisdom or knowledge - but we can see things through his eyes and begin to respond as he responds.  When we think of "measuring" something, we are usually speaking of the breadth, width, height, or capacity of that object. It is impossible to truly "measure" something which is limitless, endless, or without beginning or end! God's wealth, wisdom, and knowledge are simply limitless, endless, and without beginning or end!

In human terms, capacity is determined by ability. God's ability never changes - this is something we can never forget. His capacity never grows smaller, nor does it increase - it was and always will be limitless! Whenever we try to "box God in" by believing we have him all figured out in some way or another, he will certainly reveal himself far outside of that "box". Why? He doesn't want us to become so "accustomed" to his movements or actions in one area that we miss him totally when he moves or acts in a completely different one!

In life, some of what we receive isn't because we did much to obtain whatever we received, but we get all the benefits of whatever it is (God's wealth, wisdom, and knowledge) without having to do much to receive it. We employ life strategies by watching what others do. When we are walking with Jesus, we employ the knowledge he has, see the wisdom in the way he moves, and find the spiritual, emotional, and physical wealth in the actions he both takes and refrains from taking. We serve a limitless God - there is no end to his resources; no breadth to his love we can actually measure; no depth to his grace we can fathom; and no span to his reach we can possibly be outside of. Putting him in any "box" which says he has to operate in this way or that, perform this or that action, or just be here or there is just not going to help us to grow in our appreciation of his limitless power, grace, or love.  Just sayin!

Confucius say...

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living. (James 3:17-18)

Right living is not always what we see modeled around us, is it? At times, we observe others and know their actions are going to create havoc. There are even times we can feel ourselves 'winding up' and know very well that the outcome of that 'wind up' will not fare well for us! Confucius once said, "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." We often revert to imitation because it is the easiest, but I also know from my own personal growth, experience has played a big part in how I view and react to life around me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we always leaned toward reflection upon God's Word to give us wisdom for all of our actions?

God's wisdom comes in ways we may not even perceive until we come through on the other side of an encounter and realize we didn't respond as we might have expected. We 'handled' the situation with grace, dignity, and even a bit more gentleness than others may have thought it deserved. How did that happen? We allowed God's wisdom to lead us through, but only because we were prepared in advance to both hear and respond to that wisdom. Peaceful living isn't the result of just being passively launch out into our day. It is the result of taking time with Jesus, allowing him to take time with us, and then leaning into what he has shown us in those times of 'reflection' with him.

As Confucius said, reflection is the 'noblest', but we might just find it the hardest, too. Reflection requires us prioritizing the time we give toward discovering the truths God has for us. It requires the right frame of mind to lean in with the attitude of heart that is open to learning. I have read many a passage with the wrong frame of mind and left without even realizing what God was trying to teach me. Wisdom isn't 'accidental' - it is intentional. There is a purpose in coming to Jesus with our problems or worries, isn't there? There is a purpose in our coming to him to just learn a little more about how his grace works, how grace responds, or how grace moves beyond what one is experiencing into the place of seeing what God wants us to see in that moment. Just sayin!

He IS and he DOES

You are right and you do right, God; your decisions are right on target. You rightly instruct us in how to live ever faithful to you. My rivals nearly did me in, they persistently ignored your commandments. Your promise has been tested through and through, and I, your servant, love it dearly. I’m too young to be important, but I don’t forget what you tell me. Your righteousness is eternally right, your revelation is the only truth. Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. (Psalm 119:143)

One of the toughest thing we can do in life is pray this prayer. To trust him is to actually ask God to help us understand that he IS right and that he always DOES what is right - even when we don't understand fully what he is doing. As you can imagine, I am one of those individuals who wants to know what God is doing - I don't really like to be in the dark on matters, but I oftentimes find myself caught off-guard by what God is doing! Why? Is it that I am not maintaining a close relationship? No, not really, but we can always do better with that, can't we? Is it because God wants to hold things close to the chest and not let me in on them? Not really, but there are times when the thing he is doing is so beyond my comprehension it would totally blow me away if I knew it all 'up front'. So, as you can imagine, trust is the key here. I need to trust God to tell me the way I should live, then live as he tells me. How about you? Do you find yourself not understanding God at times? If so, begin by praying this verse to him. He backs his Word with his power, so praying these words could just begin to open the door to our understanding more and more!

God 'rightly instructs us in how to live EVER FAITHFUL TO him'. If you want to live faithfully, it might just begin with these words, "Help me be faithful even when I don't feel like it, God". Too many of us want to complicate this 'faithfulness' thing - we think one slip up means we aren't being very 'committed' to our desire to be faithful. The most important thing for us to keep in mind is the GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL. Even when we are not all that faithful, he IS! He isn't going to let us slip away into some dark hole just because we slip up from time to time. He IS the God of restoration - grace IS his response. God's strength IS ours. His hope IS ours. His commands ARE right and they ARE true - the will endure forever. We will fail from time to time, but he remains FAITHFUL - giving grace and instruction until we can become faith-full.

I know I have doubted God's decisions in my life on occasion. When I thought I was supposed to be going to nursing school and God asked me to lay down that vision and attend Bible College instead, I wondered at that decision. If I were to be painfully honest here - I needed to grow up a bit and get 'solid' at a 'foundational' level in my life - so I went to Bible College. Did I 'need' those two degrees? Not in the sense of hanging them up on my wall, but the pursuit of those degrees settled something in my heart that made me 'ready' for nursing school. Did my vision for nursing school die that day? No, it got moved to a later timeframe! As you know, I finished nursing school at 30. Old by some standards, but my heart was ready for the next 33 years of that career! As I sit here today, retired and fully content to enjoy this next stage of my life, would I say the journey was riddled with doubts along the way? You betcha! Thankfully God took every doubt I 'prayed' to him and unwound them until I began to be at peace with who he IS and what he DOES in my life. Are you there? Just askin!