Incomprehensible
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
—Isaiah 55:8-9
There are certain mysteries that are not available to us. While we have our world mapped out in amazing ways, even able to see someone’s home from an Internet "street view," we still have not been able to understand the human soul. We can see into the far reaches of outer space, split atoms, communicate instantaneously with people across the world, but no matter how much we learn, we still find out there is much more that we don’t know. The more that we think we know, the more that God laughs. All too often, we who are created in the image of God attempt to recreate God in our own image, just a bit bigger and smarter than ourselves.
The great chess player, Bobby Fischer, is reported to have once remarked that he would like to play against God. But he also joked that it would probably end in a draw. And Bobby said that he would just explain to God, “Look, you have your domain, and I have mine.” All joking aside, we are not and will never be a match for God. He is the Creator, and we are the creation. We have no power or ability apart from what God has given us. He has given us the ability to think, feel, love and live. But we can only experience life in pieces, snippets, and even then, we only experience life within time. Not so with God; He is beyond time. He created it, dwells outside of it, yet is still involved within it. He has also created everything that is—all space infinite in scope to our mortal eyes, yet He contains space itself. God is far beyond anything we could ever imagine.
Our passage today was written by the prophet Isaiah, using what we call anthropomorphic language, that is, Isaiah is attributing human characteristics to God, because that is the only way by which we can understand Him. Yet, does God think? In our text today it says that His thoughts are beyond ours; nevertheless, it is a far cry from explaining it entirely. Does God think? From our point of view, yes. But does He really think? No. Why? Because for God to think would mean that there was something He did not yet know. And if there were something He did not know, then He would not be God, for in order to be God, He must know everything. Isaiah writes so that we might understand that God is far beyond us.
God is incomprehensible and this should enable us to rest, as children do when they become confused at something and their parent steps in. We rest in the knowledge that He is God and we are not. He is able to handle the complex problems of the world and our lives. They are not difficult for Him. He delights in coming alongside us and making Himself personally known. What are you holding onto that you are afraid to give over to God? What do you think He can’t handle? Know that there is nothing beyond His grasp or ability. There is no problem too great, no sin too severe, or task too difficult for Him to fix, forgive, or accomplish. He alone is God and He has made Himself available to us through Jesus Christ. May we rest in this knowledge, knowing that He has the entire universe, including our lives, in the palm of His hand. Amen.
neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
—Isaiah 55:8-9
There are certain mysteries that are not available to us. While we have our world mapped out in amazing ways, even able to see someone’s home from an Internet "street view," we still have not been able to understand the human soul. We can see into the far reaches of outer space, split atoms, communicate instantaneously with people across the world, but no matter how much we learn, we still find out there is much more that we don’t know. The more that we think we know, the more that God laughs. All too often, we who are created in the image of God attempt to recreate God in our own image, just a bit bigger and smarter than ourselves.
The great chess player, Bobby Fischer, is reported to have once remarked that he would like to play against God. But he also joked that it would probably end in a draw. And Bobby said that he would just explain to God, “Look, you have your domain, and I have mine.” All joking aside, we are not and will never be a match for God. He is the Creator, and we are the creation. We have no power or ability apart from what God has given us. He has given us the ability to think, feel, love and live. But we can only experience life in pieces, snippets, and even then, we only experience life within time. Not so with God; He is beyond time. He created it, dwells outside of it, yet is still involved within it. He has also created everything that is—all space infinite in scope to our mortal eyes, yet He contains space itself. God is far beyond anything we could ever imagine.
Our passage today was written by the prophet Isaiah, using what we call anthropomorphic language, that is, Isaiah is attributing human characteristics to God, because that is the only way by which we can understand Him. Yet, does God think? In our text today it says that His thoughts are beyond ours; nevertheless, it is a far cry from explaining it entirely. Does God think? From our point of view, yes. But does He really think? No. Why? Because for God to think would mean that there was something He did not yet know. And if there were something He did not know, then He would not be God, for in order to be God, He must know everything. Isaiah writes so that we might understand that God is far beyond us.
God is incomprehensible and this should enable us to rest, as children do when they become confused at something and their parent steps in. We rest in the knowledge that He is God and we are not. He is able to handle the complex problems of the world and our lives. They are not difficult for Him. He delights in coming alongside us and making Himself personally known. What are you holding onto that you are afraid to give over to God? What do you think He can’t handle? Know that there is nothing beyond His grasp or ability. There is no problem too great, no sin too severe, or task too difficult for Him to fix, forgive, or accomplish. He alone is God and He has made Himself available to us through Jesus Christ. May we rest in this knowledge, knowing that He has the entire universe, including our lives, in the palm of His hand. Amen.
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