I get a daily electronic devotional called “Gateway to Joy” by Elisabeth Eliot. I often do not read it, but this morning I did. And it reminded me of how we all need to rest in our Daddy’s arms.
We can study our bibles all day long. We can be very smart. We can read hundreds of blogs and write jillions of comments, interacting with other very bright minds, pore over dozens of books, and listen to dozens of podcasts. We could then argue all day long because one of us has concluded that Calvinism is the answer to the way God works while the other knows that there is much more free will involved. We can similarly argue over many other seemingly simple or very arcane issues of “theology.”
But at the end of the day, why don’t we ponder all of this in our hearts, quietly, as Mary did when God told her how she would become pregnant? At the end of the day, think of King David, a man who obviously had a lot together, but who wrote:
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
At the end of the day, think of King Lemuel, who had been taught by his mother, who understood that there were things “too wonderful for him.” Or of Job, who realized that he didnt’ need the answers to all the questions God asked him; instead, he simply needed God.
You see, that is the answer. You don’t need the answers to all those fine points of theology. You need God. You need wonder for the Wondrous. Amazement for the Amazing. Awe for the Awesome. Joy for the Joy-giver. Love for the Ultimate Lover. Once you have Him all figured out, He will no longer be awesome; you will.
Do you know Jesus? I don’t mean know about Him. Satan and his demons know Him that way. I mean do you know Him? Do you connect with Him? Is He your friend and someone you walk with and talk with every day? What does He like about you? What does He want you to know more about? Where is He sending you today? Have you heard Him tell you? He will.
For all your searching for a perfect understanding of every theoretical point of knowledge, you really are only seeking to prove yourself right. Stop it, why don’t you, and simply rest in your Daddy’s arms.
Posted by: Bryan Riley
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