11.01.2011

unfathomable

The following texts are from Isaiah 55:6-9 and 46:9-10, and when you read them, please keep in mind that although the Holy Scriptures do stand alone as perfect truth, they are also prone to misinterpretation by us flawed humans...so I ask for your discretion and open-mindedness.

"[6] Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
[7] Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

[8] 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,'
declares the LORD.
[9] 'As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.'"

"[9] 'Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
[10] I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.'"


Almost three months have passed since I started writing this post, and now that I have returned to finish the task, I find myself in a much different mood (although mood isn't quite the right word) of spirit than back in the beginning of August. Not that I don't find God "unfathomable" still, but rather I now think God is more interested in having us pursue Him and His Presence than I used to think; even though He is ultimately infinite, yet I believe we can come to a deeper understanding of Him through His Spirit. This, of course, is probably much more involved than any of us can imagine...but the process appeals to me.

To borrow a phrase from Michael Gungor's weblog (but really to borrow only this phrase would fail to justly portray his godly wisdom, so check out that link, seriously!), "Faith in God is not supposed to be primarily cognitive, it’s supposed to be an entirely different way of living." He goes on to write about a comparison between our understanding of God and our understanding of music. We don't understand music by simply studying musical theory, looking at notes written on a page, and memorizing the different types of instruments used to make music. Rather, we understand music most fully by experiencing it. Listen, feel, breathe, play it, dance, sing.

So can we understand God completely? Of course not. How could we expect to understand God without experiencing Him and His presence? Therefore, I would contend that if we were to be still and know that He is God, He will bless us with glimpses into His Nature and His Providence. Yes, He is unfathomable. But He is knowable, and He desires to be known by us as we are known by Him - even if it takes an eternity! Or perhaps, so that it takes an eternity.

In closing, I will share a moment that I experienced with our Savior and LORD this morning. I sat after breakfast, willing myself to pray and start my day right. After a few minutes of distractions running through my head, I decided to try picturing myself before the throne of God. Almost immediately, I began to feel like I had been missing something important, and I focused more. I could 'see' my spirit in God's presence, and He was asking me, "What do you need?" At first, I didn't get it. But then I realized how much I had been trying to live on my own, instead of relying on the Holy Spirit in my life. In mere seconds (at least, I don't recall it being very long), God had revealed something to me that I desperately yearned for without knowing that I was. I see this as only a small example of the extent to which He will reach for our heart-knowing.

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Author's note: The majority of this post is very much inspired by reading my roommate Nik's blog that he wrote a month ago now. If you're reading this and you don't read Carving Silence already, do yourself a favor...read his stuff. I'd like to say he's more eloquent than I could ever be, but I think it might bother him to say that, so instead, I'll just comment that the two of us write very differently sometimes, and many times the difference is in his favor.

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