Can we truly understand God’s ways?

Absolutely–well, in part anyway!

May your ways be known throughout the earth….(Ps 67:2)

We cannot understand everything about our great God, but He has revealed very much indeed about who He is and how He works.

In these verses Creation reveals who God is…

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Ps 19:1-4)

In these verses the Word of God reveals who God is…

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

(Ps 19:7-10)

And these verses reveal what we should do in response to who God is…

Who can discern his Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

(Ps 19:11-14)

God’s revelation should make a difference in how we live. Joseph Carroll says, “The response to the true unveiling of the glory and majesty of God is always submission….To know Him is to immediately fall down in wonder, love, praise and submission.”^[i]   However, our Lord wants to be worshipped in truth. That’s why we need the help of the Holy Spirit who imparts understanding to His true children.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:    “For who has known the mind of the Lord        that he may instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

(1 Cor 2:11-16)

Our God wants to be known. This is a topic near and dear to my heart and I have written much on it. You can read the exciting series of blogs on understanding the ways of God so you can know how to go deeper with God (I have material on that too!) Check out these links and please feel free to contact me if I can help you in any way understand God’s ways. Better yet–go to the Source Himself! Understanding the Ways of God: Part 1 Understanding God’s Way Part 2: His Ways are Not Our Ways How to Live God’s Way—Simplified How to Go Deeper with God—God’s Way 5 Reasons Why God’s Way is BEST  God Wants to be Known Our Knowable God   ^[1]Joseph S. Carroll, How to Worship Jesus Christ, 1984, Moody Press Edition, 1991, 28. Photo by Shelby Miller on Unsplash modified New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.