Oh, We of Little . . . Understanding
Isaiah 45:9
“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’
Job 38:1-3
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’”
Natural disasters causing destruction and famine, world powers in perpetual war, rampant crime unravelling cities and neighborhoods, sickness and infirmity taking lives prematurely, turbulent family relationships, mental illness, and homelessness.
I apologize for beginning this mediation on such a note of hopelessness. I do so, however, to emphasize the common response from unbelievers when asked to confront the idea of a righteous and loving God who created and presides over the universe: “How could a loving, all-powerful god allow so much turmoil, pain, and suffering to exist in the world he created?” It’s a legitimate question that seasoned theologians and Bible scholars struggle to answer, let alone those of us less able to discern God’s ways.
Unfortunately, many unbelievers demand to understand why an omnipotent god would allow pain, suffering, and mayhem to exist BEFORE they are willing to hear and understand some things about the nature of God, the fall of His creation, and His overriding plan to redeem it. I suppose our task is to get them to put the former question on the back burner until we first present the beauty of the latter.
It's not surprising that an unbeliever would struggle with this. But Christians, too, who know their Creator and believe that His perfect gospel plan is sufficient for their salvation, also find themselves, at times, questioning why He works as he does.
In September of 1862, after Abraham Lincoln had announced the coming January’s official declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation, he was visited by an elderly Puritan woman. She came to offer thanks for this and to assure him that it was God who was working through him to bring an end to the atrocity of slavery. They entered into a discussion about the unexpected lengthy duration of the civil war that was tearing the nation apart. In that discussion, he uttered the following:
“We are indeed going through a great trial – a fiery trial. In the very responsible position in which I happen to be placed, being a humble instrument in the hand of our Heavenly Father, as I am, and as we all are, to work out his great purposes. I have desired that all my works and acts may be according to His will; and that it might be so, I have sought His aid. But if, after endeavoring to do my best in the light which He affords me, I find my efforts fail, I must believe that for some purpose unknown to me, He wills it otherwise. If I had my way, this war would never have been commenced. If I had been allowed my way, this war would have been ended before this. But we find it still continues, and we must believe that He permits it for some wise purpose of His own, mysterious and unknown to us; and though with our limited understandings we may not be able to comprehend it, yet we cannot but believe that He who made the world still governs it.”
I love the way Lincoln put thoughts to word. The phrases I underlined indicate his humble acceptance as a tool in the hand of God to carry out His will, even though he struggled so mightily to understand it. To Lincoln, and to believers today, God’s purposes are often “mysterious and unknown”, but to God, they are wise. In the last line, Lincoln states the necessary conclusion to everything that came before. Questioning Christians today must echo him in this.
In the verses heading this meditation, we see God confronting His creation when they question his will and purpose. This is an appropriate response by our omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God. These verses can be a bit unsettling in times when we ourselves question God while going through trials and tribulations. But God doesn’t leave us with only these reprimands. In His word, He also gives us encouragement by the assurance that it is in fact He who is in control:
“The Lord of hosts has sworn: 'As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,’” Isaiah 14:25
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21
As long as the Christian truly trusts that God knows what is best for His creation, and that his plan for it is perfect, then these verses will be of particular comfort. Yes, God’s ways are mysterious and we often fail at understanding them, but would we really want it any other way? It’s the atheist who must have an answer to every life question because they need to feel in control of their existence. Not so with the believer, who is ready and willing to give up all control to his Creator.
And finally, a promise to believers:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
We see here that benefits come to those who defer to God when encountering difficult questions about His will and purposes. We naturally want to understand our Heavenly Father, but must acknowledge that this is beyond our ability. Putting our full trust in God necessarily follows not leaning on our own understanding. For the Christian, acknowledging God’s preeminent wisdom is both liberating and reassuring. We are liberated from anxiousness and reassured of our future. For us, all that can be done is to trust fully, and, as Lincoln said, “do my best in the light he affords me”.