Feb 16, 2021

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." Ps 90:1-2

When I read Scripture like this, and try to get my mind around it, I just can't logically measure the magnanimity of what these words encompass. For a great many years in my life I taught adult Sunday School classes in a non-denominational church that typically had 700 or more persons attending services each week. With each new group of people coming into a new class, I would have everyone open their Bibles to Gen 1:1.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

I would read this verse and say, If God can do this He can do anything... and then ask, do you believe that? If not, you probably may not like this class. Because here in the opening words of the Torah, Moses, under God's direction, writes these profound words. It should not escape the reader’s attention that God gets right into our face in the first words recorded in The Torah... to me, I think this initial challenge, to our limited human intellect, is astonishing. It is said that Moses also wrote Ps 90:1-2 above... also profound. Agnostics, atheist, voluntarily stupid people, and fools can’t get past this challenge. The Bible says, “the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” Ps 14:1

Often, as a followup mind bender, I would use the amazing Exodus adventure of the Children of Israel, wandering 40 years in the wilderness, perhaps 2 million people, as another example of what seems absurd. Have you ever seriously considered the logistics of such an event? I have even sat down and done math and calculations on the size of their campsite, roadway width for their passage, sanitary facilities (also mentioned in the Biblical account), how they communicated for common activity, the food and water it would take to supply them and their thousands of cattle, and numerous other complexities that stifles one's mind. In the end, I simply go back and consider that if Gen 1:1 and Ps 90:1-2 are in fact "fact," then I just temporarily close my mind to the solution and let God be God. This is where we get a glimpse of understanding faith... at least I do.

What is it, in your life, that seems overwhelming and such a problem that there is no apparent solution for? Have you ever thought that in such times, that is where God excels. There is a word in the Bible that is often misunderstood... the word "prosper," as used in Scripture, normally is not about winning the lottery or getting that new Cadillac or lake house you've perhaps wanted. It is the Hebrew word "salah" (Strong's h6743). Namely, it means to break through, push forward, break out, go over, be good, be profitable... notice it appears to be a joint venture with “us” breaking, pushing, going, being... etc. I submit, as I understand it, that all these initiatives, concerning our part of the venture, requires our "doing" and simultaneously believing God (with the faith He gives us, and is the author and finisher of, Heb 12:2) and then resting in His grace and sufficiency. He will care for us His way, sometimes we can miss "His way," looking for our way.

Shalom… John