Understanding God
Who has a full understanding of God? Can anyone tell us exactly what His plan is for any individual? There are countless Evangelists, preachers, Theologians that try to give answers to these questions. Ever since biblical times, people have tried to accomplish this impossible task. God's own words tell us we can't fully understand Him. You would not believe the amount of critics I get who want to debate God's word. Instead of reading the Bible and trying to understand what the Lord wants us to concentrate on in our lives, we try and get 'theoretical' in our ministry. Don't get me wrong, a good teaching in theology has its rewards, but to think that it is impossible or even wrong to spread the Lord's word to others without a major study in the field of theology in my opinion is unbiblical.
We never seem to get the teaching that God gives us as in the book of Job. If you aren't familiar with that story, let me give you a 'snap shot' of what it entails. Job, a very righteous man of God was very prosperous with livestock, wealth, a large family etc.. God asked Satan if he 'considered His servant Job'. Satan's response was essentially, (to paraphrase a bit) "It is because you take care of him so well that he honors you. But take away everything he has and he'll curse you to your face." God said, ok, go ahead, he's yours to do what you want, but do not take his life. Satan then struck Job with all kinds of devastation. He lost everything he had, his family, wealth even his health became a serious issue. Then Job's three friends came to him to try and console him. Telling him why God was doing the things He did. That he must have sinned against God. Job's response; "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away". Although Job cursed the day he was born, and brought his feelings to God in a suffering way, he never cursed God. His faith maintained.
Satan kept his activities going with Job's friends to falsely accuse Job of sinning. Then finally, in chapters 38 through 41, the scriptures show where God challenged Job and his companions. As Job's friends 'thought' they knew everything about God (just like we do today), the Lord responded to them with verses such as:
-Who is this who darkens council by words without knowledge?
-Were you there when I laid out the foundations of the earth?
-Can you determine its measurements?
-To what were its foundations fastened?
-Have you commanded the morning since your days began?
-By what way is light diffused?
Also, a verse in the book of Romans applies to this situation;
"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?" Rom. 9:20
These wonderful verses reveal the Omnipotence of God and the limitations of man's understanding. Job went through suffering as we all do in our lives. Just to let you know the ending of this story, Job was restored to much more than he had ever had.
What I got out of reading this book was that Satan got a lesson from God that day, and that is that Satan is capable of doing only the things God allows him to do. Also that we as a people do not and can not fully understand God's purpose for everything. God is in control of everything and He will be glorified. As hard as we try, we cannot perfectly define He that is infinite, He that always was. This is because we as limited, finite creatures can not comprehend an unlimited, infinite creator.
All we can do is know what His word tells us about Himself;
"My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to
wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice
for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will
understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God." Prov. 2:1-5
There is one aspect of God which we can understand, and that is He is of love, compassion and understanding. One example of this is in the
book of John. The people brought to Jesus a woman who was caught in adultery. Now an act of this as told in the Old testament was one of the
sins deserving of death. People were stoned for that act. It is one of the commandments that God gave to us in the ten commandments, that it is
something we should never do. Yet when the people brought this woman before Jesus, His response to them was a rebuke of their attempt to 'test'
Him and then forgiveness of the very sin. Jesus responded;
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. And again He stooped down and wrote
on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning
with the oldest even to the last." John 8: 7-9
After this Jesus, showed His Love, compassion and understanding and forgave her;
"Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you;
go and sin no more." John 8: 10,11
God is also a God of Judgement. As much as He loves us, He will discipline and Judge us (Romans 14:11)
So many times we get caught up in doctrine. What this interpretation means, what that interpretation means etc. We try
to justify why God does the things He does and what His purpose is. There are those that 'think' they know scripture better
than others, therefore they 'think' know God better than others. They miss the simple point in their own attempts to understand, that there is a part of
God's plan and relationship with us that is not that complicated. As Jesus stressed in His ministry to 'Love one another'
and by doing that we can come to worship God and glorify His name. To believe in Jesus means to believe in God. Jesus, our Lord
God and Savior. As to the other complex aspects of God, As it says in one of the Psalms;
"....we cannot fathom God's greatness." Ps. 145:3
Who has a full understanding of God? Can anyone tell us exactly what His plan is for any individual? There are countless Evangelists, preachers, Theologians that try to give answers to these questions. Ever since biblical times, people have tried to accomplish this impossible task. God's own words tell us we can't fully understand Him. You would not believe the amount of critics I get who want to debate God's word. Instead of reading the Bible and trying to understand what the Lord wants us to concentrate on in our lives, we try and get 'theoretical' in our ministry. Don't get me wrong, a good teaching in theology has its rewards, but to think that it is impossible or even wrong to spread the Lord's word to others without a major study in the field of theology in my opinion is unbiblical.
We never seem to get the teaching that God gives us as in the book of Job. If you aren't familiar with that story, let me give you a 'snap shot' of what it entails. Job, a very righteous man of God was very prosperous with livestock, wealth, a large family etc.. God asked Satan if he 'considered His servant Job'. Satan's response was essentially, (to paraphrase a bit) "It is because you take care of him so well that he honors you. But take away everything he has and he'll curse you to your face." God said, ok, go ahead, he's yours to do what you want, but do not take his life. Satan then struck Job with all kinds of devastation. He lost everything he had, his family, wealth even his health became a serious issue. Then Job's three friends came to him to try and console him. Telling him why God was doing the things He did. That he must have sinned against God. Job's response; "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away". Although Job cursed the day he was born, and brought his feelings to God in a suffering way, he never cursed God. His faith maintained.
Satan kept his activities going with Job's friends to falsely accuse Job of sinning. Then finally, in chapters 38 through 41, the scriptures show where God challenged Job and his companions. As Job's friends 'thought' they knew everything about God (just like we do today), the Lord responded to them with verses such as:
-Who is this who darkens council by words without knowledge?
-Were you there when I laid out the foundations of the earth?
-Can you determine its measurements?
-To what were its foundations fastened?
-Have you commanded the morning since your days began?
-By what way is light diffused?
Also, a verse in the book of Romans applies to this situation;
"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?" Rom. 9:20
These wonderful verses reveal the Omnipotence of God and the limitations of man's understanding. Job went through suffering as we all do in our lives. Just to let you know the ending of this story, Job was restored to much more than he had ever had.
What I got out of reading this book was that Satan got a lesson from God that day, and that is that Satan is capable of doing only the things God allows him to do. Also that we as a people do not and can not fully understand God's purpose for everything. God is in control of everything and He will be glorified. As hard as we try, we cannot perfectly define He that is infinite, He that always was. This is because we as limited, finite creatures can not comprehend an unlimited, infinite creator.
All we can do is know what His word tells us about Himself;
"My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to
wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice
for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will
understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God." Prov. 2:1-5
There is one aspect of God which we can understand, and that is He is of love, compassion and understanding. One example of this is in the
book of John. The people brought to Jesus a woman who was caught in adultery. Now an act of this as told in the Old testament was one of the
sins deserving of death. People were stoned for that act. It is one of the commandments that God gave to us in the ten commandments, that it is
something we should never do. Yet when the people brought this woman before Jesus, His response to them was a rebuke of their attempt to 'test'
Him and then forgiveness of the very sin. Jesus responded;
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. And again He stooped down and wrote
on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning
with the oldest even to the last." John 8: 7-9
After this Jesus, showed His Love, compassion and understanding and forgave her;
"Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you;
go and sin no more." John 8: 10,11
God is also a God of Judgement. As much as He loves us, He will discipline and Judge us (Romans 14:11)
So many times we get caught up in doctrine. What this interpretation means, what that interpretation means etc. We try
to justify why God does the things He does and what His purpose is. There are those that 'think' they know scripture better
than others, therefore they 'think' know God better than others. They miss the simple point in their own attempts to understand, that there is a part of
God's plan and relationship with us that is not that complicated. As Jesus stressed in His ministry to 'Love one another'
and by doing that we can come to worship God and glorify His name. To believe in Jesus means to believe in God. Jesus, our Lord
God and Savior. As to the other complex aspects of God, As it says in one of the Psalms;
"....we cannot fathom God's greatness." Ps. 145:3
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