God Knows How It All Fits Together

We have all heard the phrase “He or she knows the big picture.” When we say that about someone, we mean that they grasp the general, overall, or long-term scheme of something rather than just what is right in front of them. On the flipside if someone doesn’t understand the big picture, it means that they do not understand the entire situation or issue. There are times in all of our lives in which we only know certain pieces of the puzzle, and therefore things do not always make sense to us. We cannot see beyond the limits of our understanding.

Often the big overarching question is, why does God allow this or that to happen (or not happen)? To us, sometimes it just does not make sense since we do not know the big picture. While our understanding is limited and imperfect, God’s understanding is limitless and always perfect! Think walking on the ground and trying to view miles and miles of coastline versus seeing that same coastline from the air.

Three years ago, Robyn and I took a helicopter ride while at a church conference in Myrtle Beach. Being up in the air gave us a big picture view of the region. From that height we could see large wooded areas, entire developments, and the sandy coastline from North Myrtle to Myrtle; all things we could not easily see or comprehend from the ground. 

We have a God who created the universe and everything in it. Colossians 1:16 tells us this, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”  

And not only did God create it all, but He also knows the big picture, He has a plan in mind. We read these words in Isaiah 46:10, “I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will” (HCSB).

God is not confined to our timetable nor is He limited in His understanding. He is never early, never late, and maybe what bugs us the most, He is never in a hurry, even when “hurry” is what we want. Most certainly there are times when we wish things would move quicker, especially those things causing us great difficulty… but we find these words in Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Following this verse, in vv.2-8, fourteen opposites are juxtaposed; examples of how life is comprised of varying seasons. And v.11 ends like this, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”   

And for those of you who “need to have every detail planned out,” the truth is, God has ultimate authority over time. Here is what Jesus said to his disciples right being taken up into Heaven regarding when the kingdom would be restored – “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).

So, with all that in mind, today I ask – can you, will you, trust that God knows the big picture and is in control, even when what you see looks out of control and doesn’t make sense?