| “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;” |
| —Job 37:5a |
Anyone who declares that he or she completely understands God has actually completely misunderstood the breathtaking majesty of God.
Our loving Father has revealed Himself to His chosen children through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The more we learn about Jesus and the more we try to follow in His footsteps, the more we will understand God. But, that understanding will always be imperfect until we stand in His Presence. And, even then, truly knowing God is an endeavor that will take eternity.
The great churchman, J. I. Packer, has written an absolutely marvelous book entitled Knowing God. In 2006, Christianity Today magazine named this book one of the top 50 volumes that have shaped Evangelicals. I strongly—yes, strongly—encourage you to get this book at your favorite bookseller. If you carefully and prayerfully read this book, your life will surely change.
Packer concludes that we will only “become known, even as also we are known”—to quote 1 Corinthians 13:12—when we come into the Presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the meantime, we must content ourselves by taking full advantage of the revelation God the Father has given us in His Son, in His written Word, and in the Holy Spirit’s indwelling Presence.
We must recognize the power and glory of God when we look at all of life around us. We must see with the eyes of Elihu. Consider, for a moment, these words of Job’s “friend” Elihu, as recorded in Job 37:5-6:
“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’”
Whether you watch your new born baby asleep and take note of each breath; whether you hike through the woods and see the manifold artistry of the Creator; whether you listen to music at a concert and see the way God has gifted the composer and artist; whatever you do and wherever you go, you must immerse yourself in the overwhelming reality that God’s many splendored Presence is incomprehensible.
It is as if, in response to our desire to know Him, God has placed us in the hollow of a rock and shielded us with His hand as He passes by. We can only see His back, even as Moses did. But, we cannot see God full in the face and live. We cannot apprehend the fullness of His glory.
As we begin this new day, we should revel in as much of Himself as God has chosen to reveal to us. And, we should allow our praise to spill out into our conversation with each individual God nudges us to touch during our daily encounters with the ones we pass along our journey.
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, February 27, 2017
