Mysteries

I just returned from glorious Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. What a beautiful place it is. As I toured what National Geographics Magazine refers to as one of the six most beautiful drives in the world I marveled at God’s handiwork. It took millions of years for glaciers to carve through the huge majestic mountains and form the beautiful emerald green lakes and valleys along this drive and it is simply put, breathtaking.

I have a friend who struggles with spiritual matters. He often poses questions to me that are very complex and difficult to comprehend. I do not know why he comes to me. Perhaps it is because my hair is turning white and/or he understands that I am a student of the Bible and am settled in my unswerving faith in the Lord and the Bible’s accuracy and because of that he probably assumes that I can help explain some of the mysteries in the Bible. I wish I was more adept at answering his tough questions as I believe it would help him greatly; however I come up short on most occasions.

I was thinking about this on the plane ride back late last night. The Bible refers to a white head as a “crown of glory” and teaches that we should respect those with some age on them and listen carefully to their wise advice. It states, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall”, and my friend is wise to seek advice. I just turned sixty years old and my head is turning white. I have studied the Bible for quite a few years, but I was thinking about how pitiful my knowledge of anything compares to God. The Bible teaches that a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. He was around when the glaciers covered this land and ordained when they would shrink away and allow the aspens, firs and junipers to inhabit the land afterwards. He does not have a mere sixty or seventy years of life’s experiences to draw from; He is immortal and was around before creation. He created it all including us.

According to the Bible King Solomon was the wisest man in the world and the richest. The Bible assures us that no one will ever exceed his wisdom or riches. People came from all over the world to listen to his proverbs and to ask his advice. We can read his advice in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Solomon was blessed in his knowledge, but admittedly he did not understand the Lord. Nor could any of the other writers of the Bible. The Apostle Paul stated that it was like looking through a dirty mirror and we cannot see clearly now, but later we will more fully understand.

In the end, who can understand the Lord? The Bible states that God’s ways are higher than our ways. His intellect is not comparable to ours and thus cannot be explained in human terms. I think my friend should turn to the Bible and to prayer for understanding and peace. We are told that the Bible is living and sharper than any two edged sword. God will reveal Himself through the Bible and we can gain a better understanding of His persona; however the Bible is clear that some things will remain a mystery and we have to accept it upon faith or be tormented trying to use human logic to explain celestial spiritual matters. We were created lower than the angels and the angels are far below God. One could not logically expect to understand complex mysteries that are incomprehensible to our limited order of creation.

As I watched the sun illuminating vast snow covered mountain ranges during the day, and the crystal clear star infested nights I did not question God. I do not understand how God created everything or anything. I do have faith in Him however; and am appreciative that He takes time from His busy schedule to watch over me and my small family and that is good enough for me. I wish everyone could know the peace of fully trusting the Lord and putting one’s entire faith upon Him. I look forward to one day listening to Jesus patiently explain the mysteries that are so perplexing to me now. Oh what a day of rejoicing that will be, but until then I just accept some things as being supernatural and move on. I can do that…

Psalms 8:3
When I consider Your
heavens , the work of Your
fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You ordained,
What is man that you are
mindful of Him.