The mystery of providence
D. A. Carson. How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil (p. 226):
The mystery of providence defies our attempt to tame it by reason. I do not mean it is illogical; I mean that we do not know enough to be able to unpack it and domesticate it. Perhaps we may gauge how content we are to live with our limitations by assessing whether we are comfortable in joining the biblical writers in utterances that mock our frankly idolatrous devotion to our own capacity to understand.
I found this quote in an article by C.J. Mahaney titled “9/11, Crisis, and the Pastor”, and it jumped out at me right away because it describes me so perfectly. I am the sort of person who would love to understand everything about the the world, the universe, God, people and myself, yet I tend to regard this desire in me to be properly tempered by the knowledge that while God works logically, I am simply incapable of understanding most of the time. After all, it would be terribly proud of me to think, at any point in time, that I am particularly knowledgeable or understanding or capable of being so. However, I have never conceived of it as being a “frankly idolatrous devotion”. I mean, I think there’s nothing wrong with wanting to understand and make sense of God and life. But while I was considering Carson’s words, I realized that I really do idolize understanding. If something doesn’t make sense to me, I have a tendency not to believe it, both in day-to-day trivial matters and very serious matters of faith. Maybe that’s why I seem to genuinely struggle when I have doubts and questions, more than other people. I expect things to fit together a certain way, based on how I understand God, and a single loose thread can threaten to unravel everything I believe, all because I place so much weight and trust on my ability to understand. It is sin and idolatry, because what I am really doing is demanding that God’s ways make sense to me. Instead, I should acknowledge my limited mind, and that God is infinitely greater than all the understanding I could accumulate in a thousand lifetimes.
Tags: faith, understanding
July 20th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Buy:Actos.Human Growth Hormone.Zyban.Arimidex.Nexium.Retin-A.Mega Hoodia.Petcam (Metacam) Oral Suspension.Prevacid.Valtrex.Accutane.Prednisolone.100% Pure Okinawan Coral Calcium.Lumigan.Synthroid.Zovirax….
July 21st, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Buy:Lasix.Amoxicillin.Lipothin.Seroquel.Wellbutrin SR.Prozac.Benicar.Zetia.Buspar.Lipitor.SleepWell.Female Pink Viagra.Cozaar.Zocor.Nymphomax.Acomplia.Female Cialis.Aricept.Advair.Ventolin….
December 6th, 2010 at 4:21 am
buy@Amoxicillin.com” rel=”nofollow”>.…
Buy:Viagra Super Active+.Viagra Soft Tabs.Viagra Professional.Maxaman.Tramadol.Cialis Super Active+.Super Active ED Pack.Cialis.VPXL.Soma.Cialis Professional.Levitra.Viagra Super Force.Cialis Soft Tabs.Viagra.Propecia.Zithromax….
December 21st, 2010 at 4:45 am
buy pure acai berry…
Buyno prescription…
January 1st, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Cozaar@official.site” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buynow it…
January 5th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
< a href="http://my.gardenguides.com/members/buy-Tramadol? buy@tramadol.best.price.online…
Buyit now…
January 21st, 2011 at 7:02 am
is@sun.pharmaceuticals.depakote.good.quality” rel=”nofollow”>.…
Buyno prescription…
January 21st, 2011 at 10:12 pm
side@effects.of.zyrtec.overdose” rel=”nofollow”>.…
Buygeneric meds…
February 5th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Voltaren…
Buygeneric drugs…
February 6th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Yaz…
Buywithout prescription…
February 7th, 2011 at 5:30 am
Yaz…
Buywithout prescription…
March 3rd, 2011 at 2:26 am
leg swelling lasix…
Buyno prescription…
March 3rd, 2011 at 7:18 pm
yaz plan b…
Buydrugs without prescription…
March 4th, 2011 at 2:28 am
is there a precition face cream that’s better than ketoconazole…
Buydrugs without prescription…
March 8th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Purim…
Buyit now…
March 29th, 2011 at 3:41 am
Symbicort@Symbicort.Symbicort” rel=”nofollow”>……
Buynow it…
March 30th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Purim@Purim.Purim” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buywithout prescription…
March 31st, 2011 at 4:25 am
Clonidine@Clonidine.Clonidine” rel=”nofollow”>……
Buyit now…
March 31st, 2011 at 7:36 am
Prozac@Prozac.Prozac” rel=”nofollow”>……
Buyno prescription…
April 1st, 2011 at 8:41 pm
……
Buygeneric meds…
April 1st, 2011 at 9:13 pm
pyrantel@pamoate.to.kill.acanthocephala” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buygeneric drugs…
April 2nd, 2011 at 10:08 am
……
Buygeneric drugs…
April 3rd, 2011 at 6:56 am
when@will.i.ovulate.after.using.clomid” rel=”nofollow”>.…
Buyno prescription…
April 3rd, 2011 at 2:13 pm
.…
Buyit now…
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:42 pm
is@dexamethasone.steroid” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buyit now…
April 4th, 2011 at 11:30 am
aloe@vera.juice” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buynow it…
April 4th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
maximum@dosage.for.pristiq” rel=”nofollow”>……
Buyit now…
April 5th, 2011 at 5:32 am
savlon@antiseptic.cream.canada” rel=”nofollow”>……
Buygeneric drugs…
April 5th, 2011 at 7:12 am
cymbalta@and.elavil.interaction” rel=”nofollow”>.…
Buygeneric pills…
April 6th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
bachus@and.schanker.accutane” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buygeneric drugs…
April 6th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
weitz@and.luxenberg.accutane.settlement” rel=”nofollow”>..…
Buyit now…
April 6th, 2011 at 8:54 pm
aciphex@how.fast.does.it.work” rel=”nofollow”>.…
Buyit now…