Scripture
As you do not know how a pregnant woman comes to have a body and a living spirit in her womb, so you do not know the work of God.
~Ecclesiastes 11:5, REB
Quote
Always assume that you can learn something from everyone you meet.
~Jack Welch
Why don’t know it alls know that they are annoying? Let’s be honest, life can present us with some very perplexing questions and no one has all the answers. I do not deny that the answers are in Christ: Paul said in Romans 11:36, “In Him, to Him and through Him are all things.” To the Colossians, Paul said of the Laodiceans, “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Jesus was the true know it all. Other than Jesus, no man knows or fully understands what God is doing presently in this world. We know He is at work and that He works seven days a week but no one can unravel the mystery of innocent suffering. We know why smokers get lung cancer and drinkers get syrosis of the liver but we do not know why children are born with spinal bifida.
Intellectually, Solomon was a pretty sharp knife and yet he confessed the impossibility of understanding everything that goes in this world. He said, “People may try hard to figure it out but they will never discover what it all means.” I agree with Solomon. I have a lot of questions. Right now, number one may have to do with the LORD not answering my prayer concerning the election. I like Ecclesiastes 10:2 in the REB…”The minds of the wise turn to the right, but the mind of the fool turns to the left.” No commentary needed. I do not understand suffering and I am not talking about my personal problems. I am talking about Children’s hospital in Birmingham and St. Jude in Memphis, they are always full.
I am about to confess my smallness: I spent three hours in the ER getting stuck with needles and stuck in machines and tubes and I didn’t complain on the outside but on the inside I was agitated. I don’t like being stuck. I don’t like ER’s, I don’t like the tiny little rooms and the tiny beds. I found myself praying, “LORD, I don’t like this place. I am not comfortable here. Just get me to 1120 Iron Man and then do whatever You need to do.” Then I thought about Miss Clara and the hundreds of times she has been stuck with a needle. She’s had more surgeries than I have had shots.
The bottom line is that I don’t know every thing: matter of fact, I know very little. The older I get, the more overwhelmed I am with my ignorance. As the song says, “Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”
Thank you for your prayers yesterday. It was a very sad day but God’s amazing grace was sufficient. I see a new doctor in Cullman this morning. God is good and infinitely so. Have a great day and a great weekend.