(Friends: during this series, the messages may frequently be longer than usual due to the subject matter. Thanks for your patience, and I think you will find the considerations interesting, and hopefully, helpful in our walk with the Lord. Glen)
Part 20 – “The ‘Where?’ of God”
Upon first consideration, we might think that the question, “Where is God?” might be easier to answer than our previous considerations of “What?” and Who?”.
We’ve likely all told our children, “God is everywhere!” Certainly, this is correct.
“Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10).
Our Lord is indeed everywhere. However, a challenge to our understanding remains in this truth, namely, that a Being who transcends space nevertheless inhabits space in some manner far beyond our understanding. Solomon referenced this mystery in his dedication of the temple he built for God and the children of Israel:
“But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built!” (II Chronicles6:18).
In essence, Solomon declares, “Lord, You’re too big to be somewhere, anywhere, or eveneverywhere!” The king of Israel perhaps concerned himself with the possibility that God would burst the walls of any earthly temple He attempted to inhabit. We might concern ourselves with the same notion regarding the universe, if we seek to understand God’s presence in terms of physical proximity. This leads to the main point of attempting to address His “Where?” Our timeless, space-transcending Lord is both everywhere – “Whither shall I go to flee from Your Spirit – and He is nowhere – “The heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee!.
Such truth brings us to that wonderful place of understanding that we cannot understand. Indeed, the Christian life involves a rational, reasonable determination to have “the eyes of your understanding enlightened” (Ephesians1:18). The further we venture in such mental illumination, however, the more we affirm with the Psalmist, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me! It is high, I cannot attain unto it!” (Psalm 139:6). Just as God everywhere and He is nowhere, so do we know, but we don’tknow!
The merely curious will find this too disturbing to accept and embrace. The consecrated, however, will acknowledge that any truth that both causes us to look upward for light, while at the same time driving us to our knees and faces to acknowledge the infinite greatness of our Lord, is a good thing. Somehow, God inhabits a creation far too small to accommodate Him. Thus, we seek to answer the question “Where?” in full awareness that every answer will raise even more questions. Yes, indeed, this is a good thing…
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.”(Romans 11:33-36)
No comments:
Post a Comment