Knowing God

6.6.2010

Ecclesiastes 3:11b Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ESV

I don’t know if I want to build a theology on this verse or not but it has a certain ring to it that I just can’t ignore. It says in effect, God has wired an eternal element into our hearts but only in such a way that we can’t know the end from the beginning. Now, I don’t think this means God is hiding things from us, but I do think it means He’s only ever going to give us according to our capacity to learn and in eternity it is more than we can ever hope for or imagine.

So here’s what I think that means: Mankind has a thirst to know. God made us that way. We’re thirsty to know all there is to know and why what is, is; and how what does, does. That’s who we are. Solomon said in his writings that he set out on a quest to know. But Solomon quickly discovered that knowing is one thing and knowing God is quite another. I still think it all boils down to our capacity – and what God deems important or beneficial for us to know.

It’s possible to have a full head and an empty heart. Therefore my response to God is to allow Him to fill my heart (life more abundant) throughout all of my eternal existence; quality vs. quantity. What I yearn is for God to teach me, not all there is to know, but all I need to know. And then I’ll spend the rest of all eternity, in its glory, adventure, and freedom, walking with God discovering all He desires to impart – of Himself; of His heart.

Father in Heaven,

You’ve planted eternity in my heart because You don’t plant anything other than who You are; and eternity is not enough time for You to teach me all there is to know about You. But I trust that our eternal adventure will be full of all You desire for me to know and that my hunger and thirst to know will only be sated as You reveal all that is on Your heart for me to learn – throughout eternity! How good and great You are! Through Jesus, amen.*

*Dear reader, I hope this makes some semblance of sense to you, or that it helps you in your own quest to know God. I find conversations like these to be very difficult to articulate; I recognize I see something, but realize I have difficulty saying it...

Paul