The power and wisdom of God

As I read Genesis 1, God’s power and wisdom really strike me. With a word, God created. “Let there be light,” and bang! There is light. “Let there be plants and animals,” and bang! They appear.

I kind of wonder how God revealed all of this to Moses. Did he just say, “Okay, Moses, on the first day, I created light. Then on the second day…”

Or did he give Moses a time lapse vision of the whole thing. That would’ve been awesome to see.

If God did give a vision to Moses of the creation events, it might give credence to the theory that the earth is very old. Moses saw everything happening in a very short time, but actually, it took millions of years.

I know, I know. There are some of you out there that are ready to shoot me now for even suggesting this.

But considering that neither you or I were actually there, we’re just going to have to wait until heaven to find out.

Honestly, I don’t know if creation was done in 7 literal days or not. All I’m saying is that IF…IF God gave Moses a time lapse vision of the whole thing, it COULD give credence to the 7 “time period” interpretation of Genesis 1.

Speaking of how God revealed all this to Moses, I wonder how God would have explained all this if he had been talking to modern day scientists?

I wonder if God did explain it all to the scientists, could they grasp it all even now?

We’d like to think we’re so advanced. We’d like to think that if God explained it all we could grasp it.

We certainly understand more about our world and our universe than Moses did. But if God explained it all, could we really grasp it? Maybe. Maybe not.

I think scientists will have a fascinating time talking with God about all this when they get to heaven.

“Oh! Is that how it worked? We were close to the answer, but we were a bit off.” Or “Wow! We were way off on that one!”

So what’s my point? Stand in awe of God’s power and wisdom.

Sometimes we look at this world and we question God. We look at the evil that is in this world and we question why? Why does God allow earthquakes? Why does God allow murder?

In my case, I sometimes ask, “Why do I have to have diabetes? Why do I have to have ulcers?” (I have to have a checkup for both next week. Ugh!)

Some answers are simple. “Bruce, you have diabetes because you drank too much Pepsi!” Other questions, though, are much more difficult. And we struggle with them.

But if we can’t grasp the scientific questions, how can we hope to grasp the philosophical questions of life?

God’s wisdom is so much greater than ours.

There are simply some things that we’ll never understand while we’re on this earth.

There are simply some answers God will never give us because we won’t be able to grasp them even if he does give them to us.

What he does ask us to do is to trust him.

Even if we don’t understand.

Even if we never get the answers this side of heaven.

Just trust him.

Trust that he knows what he’s doing. Trust that he’s good. And even more, trust that he still does love you and that he still does care for you despite your circumstances.

That’s the lesson of Job. God never did give Job any answers to his questions of why he suffered so much.

All he said was, “You’re not qualified to judge me and what I do. You have neither my power nor my wisdom.”

And Job fell to his knees and said:

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

You asked, “Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?”

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

You said, “Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:2–6)

And as Job humbled himself before God, as he put his trust in God despite the circumstances, God worked to turn his situation completely around.

So whatever our situations, whatever our questions, whatever our struggles, let us stand in awe of the God who knows more than we can grasp.

More, let us trust that he does know best and has the power to transform our worst problems into something glorious.

As the apostle Paul wrote:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33–36)