Bigger, Smarter, More Powerful

Romans 11:33-36

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Does it bother you when there are things about God and His Word that you can’t understand or comprehend? I know I’ve run into people that this really bothers, and so they use that as a reason why they can’t believe in God. There’s too many things that I just don’t understand, that I can’t comprehend too many things that the Bible asks of me that I can’t even fathom.

For us as Christians, we have the ability, though, to say, I don’t know. I don’t know. There are things about God that remain mysteries to us. There are things that God reveals to us in His Word, that we simply have to throw up our hands and say, I’m not sure how that happens, but I do believe that God makes it happen, even though I can’t understand it or scientifically explain it. Is this something that should bother us? The scriptures themselves point out that this is something that should not bother us. Saint Paul specifically talks about this in Romans chapter 11, he brings up a really interesting point.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments
and how untraceable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his adviser?”
“Or who has first given to God
that he will be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

Saint Paul points out that God’s wisdom surpasses ours. His judgment surpasses ours. And really, shouldn’t that make sense? If we have a God who’s bigger and smarter than we are, should he be able to understand and know and fathom things that go beyond our understanding? If everything about God was something that could fit inside of our heads, inside of our brains, if it’s something that we could come to understand, well, then wouldn’t that make us as smart as God is? And if that’s the case, do you want to have a God like that? Or would you rather have a God who’s far smarter, far more powerful, far more knowledgeable, with greater insight to things than you are?

I want a God who is bigger than I am, and that’s the God that we have in Scripture. Should it bother us that there are things that that we can’t fathom, that we can’t understand? No. Instead we simply say, I don’t know, but God knows. God is smarter than I am. And that’s the very nature of God. That’s what makes him God. But what we do need to know about God is what he proclaims to us in His word. And he says, trust me on these things. What you need to know is that I love you, that I care for you. That in Jesus Christ, my son, I forgive you all of your sins, that you are right with me by simply repenting of your sins and turning to me with faith. And I will take care of the rest.

Maybe you’ve heard this before. There was a small child who brought his remote control to the TV to his dad and handed it to his dad and asked, how does this work? Now that dad could have peeled off the back and explained infrared technology to his son, the small toddler, but he realized that would go way over the child’s head. So he takes the remote and he says, how does this work? You push this button and the TV will come on. And so it is sometimes with God. If he were to reveal the whole plan and system and wisdom to us, it would go flying way over our head. And so he tells us what we need to know. And he does that in his word. And he tells us about the love that he has for us. And he opens up all sorts of different understandings and knowledge to us that we can continue to explore. And that’s a good thing. But should it ever be an excuse to doubt God or to not put our faith in him, no. We should rejoice in the fact that we do have a God who’s bigger, smarter, more powerful than we are. And may that God’s peace be with you.