“God is God and I am not,” is a saying we would repeat in our recovery ministry. Why? Because it is important to understand and accept the infinite distinction between God and his creation. We have been given the ability to reason and make choices, but God has the ultimate say and control. He is the one to be revered for his deeds, not us. We can not take credit for what God is doing. We need to know our place is to follow God and not the other way around.
The proverb in verse 30 is pretty clear on this. “No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.” God is sovereign. He is the supreme ruler. There is nothing that can stand against him. We may think we’re smart, but we need to remember where our wisdom comes from. Even the most learned scholars only have merely a fraction of the wisdom of God.
No matter how many books we read or even how much time we spend reading God’s word, we will never be able to comprehend God. It is not humanly possible. His ways are not our ways. Have you ever tried to actually grasp the immensity of God? We can only perceive what we know, and there is so much about God that we can never know.
James 1:5 gives us permission and reminds us to ask God for what we want. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” We don’t need to fear or question God. We need to accept who has the knowledge and ask him to reveal it to us. It is so much better to join forces with God and let him direct our paths, help us in planning, etc. rather than to fight him and believe we know best.
So how do we respond to such a nugget of wisdom today? Does it put us in our place for trying to define God or his ways? Does it cause us to want to bow down and worship him?
Let’s pray … Lord, you are good, and your mercy endures forever. Thank you for how you are working in my life. Forgive me for sometimes trying to take control. I know the best strategy is to let you lead. Help me to be a better follower. Help me set aside my own agenda and wait on you to move. Show me the path I am to take. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
