The Yellow Brick Road
Are you the type of person who isn’t satisfied with simply knowing information? Instead, you like to dig into the “who, what, where, when and why.” Last week I wasn’t satisfied with just knowing that there were 538 electoral votes available to the presidential candidates. I wanted to know why it was 538. If you care to know, the answer is each state gets a certain number of electors based upon its representatives in Congress, plus three for the District of Columbia.
Sometimes it is fine to just look above the surface while other times it might be important to dig a little deeper. One area we often try to figure out, and always come up short, is trying to understand the ways of God. God works how God works and it is up to us to be faithful. If we knew all the answers to how and why God works, it wouldn’t really be faith now would it? And even if we knew those answers, we wouldn’t always understand (see Isaiah 55:8-9).
In the Old Testament book of Job, one of Job’s friends, Zophar, asks him this question regarding God’s supreme power, His unfathomable wisdom, and the reasons for His actions – “Do you think you can explain the mystery of God? Do you think you can diagram God Almighty? God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend, stretching farther than earth’s horizons, far wider than the endless ocean” (Job 11:7-9, MSG). Zophar was seemingly under the false impression that he had access to the deep things of God, thereby allowing him to torment his friend for not holding the key to knowing God’s ways.
At the end of the 11th Chapter in the Book of Romans we read this doxology – “Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (11:33-36)
Our role, as followers of Jesus, is simple. We are called to be obedient and trust God in all things, even when those things don’t make sense. Proverbs 3:5 (using CEV) tells us, “With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not on your own judgment.” That verse is the what and v.6 gives us the why – “Always allow him to lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.” Other versions say, “he will make your path straight” or “he will show you which path to take”.
So today, focus less on trying to figure out the whys and why nots of God and more on trusting that He is in control and that His plan, His path, is way better than any plan or path you could ever dream up. Yes, even better than the yellow brick road.
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