“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine…” Isa 55:8 (NLT)
We live on the east coast of Australia and during June, every year, pods of humpback whales migrate up the coast towards warmer waters for winter. We often head out to our local beach and watch them swim by… my kids are crazy for it and are in awe of the whales – the mysterious sea creatures of the deep. On the way home, they tell fantastical stories of whales saving humans and doing all sorts of amazing and incredible things… their wonder of it alone is beautiful to watch.
As an adult, I like whales, but the wonder of them has lost its edge… I’ve seen them, I know about them… they’re no longer mysterious and awesome.
We get this way with God too. Familiarity sets in, life plods along and the wonder and beautiful mysteriousness of God gets lost in the midst of everyday stuff… money, work, family, washing, pets, in-laws, dinner, deadlines… we want everything laid out, explained, no surprises, facts… everything on the table. After a while, the ‘unknown’ that was once exciting and hope-filled becomes agitating and somewhat scary. Instead of living by faith, we fall into ‘living by the numbers.'
God is not two-dimensional, He’s not human, and He’s not someone we can just explain away with facts and figures… He’s God almighty, the Author of life, creator of the universe… He’s literally AWE-some. Eph 2:8 says “it's by faith we have been saved…” not by a table of outcomes and numbers, or our own works and calculations, but faith – that belief deep within our heart that what we do not see, what we cannot explain, exits.
I know it can be a challenge, but shake off that need to know everything… Shake off the idea that everything is black and white… God's thoughts and ways are “far beyond anything we can imagine…” So instead of wanting the explanation – what? when? how? – start imagining, start asking questions, invite the wonder and expansiveness of God back into your heart. Get comfortable with the unknown, allow surprises to bring you hope and joy instead of dread and fear…
Go and watch some whales and be flawed by their magnificence… Our wondrous, mysterious, imaginative God created them.
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