We are created beings, each of us having a beginning that we celebrate on our birthdays. We cannot fathom eternity before even the angels while never the concept of never-ending life is more easily accepted.
Our human minds understand beginnings. We understand the blank slate of a newborn baby, the need to learn, to gain understanding. We understand that human justice has its own biases. We know the need to consult others when facing major decisions or new experiences.
But to understand a God who knows all, even our thoughts! To comprehend a Being who never needed to learn because all the things we need to learn were created by Him to begin with.
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows Him his counsel?
Whom did He consult,
or who made Him understand?
Who taught Him the path of justice,
and taught Him knowledge,
and showed Him the way of understanding?
Isaiah 40:13,14
Yet, listen to our prayers! How often do we try to tell our all-wise God how to accomplish what we think needs to be done? We so often outline, in a pleading manner, the steps He should take to fulfill our requests. We do not honor God's holiness, His knowledge, His sovereignty. We do not trust His eternal wisdom, His boundless love for us, His incredible ability to use all things for our good that we may become more like the Lord Jesus.
Oh, we mentally agree that God knows more and better than we do, but we don't follow through in our words or actions.
Can we pray as Jesus did? Laying out our thoughts, our fears and then submitting to what our loving, sovereign God wills, not what we will?
Jesus set such an example of submission when He went to the cross! He was spit upon—and probably looked right at His tormentors with sad but knowing eyes. He submitted to scourging that tore His back to shreds—wordlessly and without struggle! We would hang our heads and pull away or at least cry out in self defense when mocked and humiliated; but Jesus submitted. I wonder how many sleepless nights His tormentors experienced because of the way Jesus willing allowed them to act out sadistically on the Son of God, their Creator. I'm sure Satan had a heyday as he lashed out against the God of Heaven through these men.
Yet this same God would forgive every one of His tormentors if they would sincerely repent and believe on Jesus substitutionary plan of salvation. Did He not do that for Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road?
This same God is a God of mercy and incredible compassion. Can we even begin to comprehend the vastness of our God's character? I love the picture Isaiah paints of our tender, loving God:
He will tend His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs in His arms;
He will carry them in His bosoms,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 40:11
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