As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God Who doeth all things. -- Ecclesiates 11:5 (Tanakh Jewish Bible)There are three (apparently) eternal truths in this one verse. Ecclesiastes is believed to have been written nearly 3,000 years ago. Take all of our development, technology, and knowledge that has happened in all that time and we still do not know many things. We still can't say why a wind comes to a particular spot. We still can't say how a clump of cells build specific tissues or become a living, breathing human being. If these first two premises hold true even today then the third is also very likely true -- we do not know the work of God.
We like to think we do know God, but the limitation of our understanding betrays our arrogance in thinking so. In fact, anyone who claims they know all about God is most likely creating a god in their own image. The handiwork of God's work is an awe-inspiring wonder to start. We can't duplicate it! The trail God has us on and where it leads is at best a trail of crumbs. We know not the time of our journey in this life, nor how, nor why we finally travel the roads we do. We know God only in the name God uses for God -- I Am -- a present tense verb. We can't know our future. We can't change the past. But, God stands constant in forgiveness of the past, constant in hope for the future, constant in love in the now.
Prayer:
God of it all -- you know my situation and need. Have mercy, O Lord. Amen.
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