Understanding God 

   “Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How inscrutable are his judgements and how unsearchable his ways.” (Romans 11: 33) 

   Understanding is something we all seek in life.  We want to know how things work and how to fix them when they don’t.  We want to know why the sun rises and the flowers bloom.  We even want to know the motivations and thoughts of God.  But God owes us no explanation; He is God and we are not.

   The religious leaders of Jesus’ time failed to recognize Him because He did not conform to their understanding of what the Messiah was to be.  The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would rout the Romans and return Israel to its former glory.  They could not understand a Messiah who cared nothing for politics but cared deeply about their eternal soul.

   Over two thousand years later we still struggle to understand what can’t be understood, to be given explanations when no explanation can suffice, to turn from what doesn’t conform to our understanding of what is to be.

   Perhaps in the next life we will have a better understanding of God, but I doubt it.  He is and will always be far above our understanding.  But we will know the fullness of His love and will know the joy and happiness of His eternal kingdom.  What more could we ask?