Unfathomable Grace

I do not understand the physics of keeping an airliner above the clouds. Yet, my lack of knowledge does not keep me from purchasing my ticket, going through security, boarding the plane, finding my seat, and pulling out my latest book. It is clear that in designers, engineers, mechanics, and pilots I trust.

I know not the inner working of my I-phone. I am sure people exist who do, but I am not one of them. And personally, I do not think I have met someone who comprehends the circuitry, chips, cards, or whatever is found within my smart-phone. Yet, despite my lack of knowledge, I have become fairly confident, competent, and comfortable with my mobile device. My being a dumb smart-phone user has not kept me from using my I-phone to store my photos, organize my contacts, keep my calendar, awaken me for important meetings, open the scriptures, feed my soul, and guide me step-by-step to my desired destination. It is clear that in engineers, programmers, designers, Steve Jobs, applications, and Siri do I trust.

I lack a huge amount of knowledge regarding heaven, eternity, angels, demons, law, and gospel. I cannot comprehend my God and his secret purposes, sovereign selection, strategic planning, and strange ways of providential performing. After all these years, after an abundance of books, despite my personal study and ramblings, I continue to be a student baffled as I seek to fully reconcile God’s sovereignty with man’s responsibility. His painful ways of doing things (hard providence) are difficult to swallow and stomach. However, this he says, and this I know — His rules do not always make sense to me; his ways are higher than my ways; his thoughts are grander than mine. Yes, this I know:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men … When I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom … so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned … we have the mind of Christ. (From 1 Corinthians 1-2)

How wise is the person who trusts not the world, the flesh, or the devil? How wise and blessed is the person who can honestly say, “In God I trust?”

Oh boy! As I think about this, I must confess I am an idiot for I quite often prove not to trust God. I am an arrogant one lacking mental maturity. I consider myself to be wiser than I ought. In my thoughts and actions, though I would never say this, I reason myself and others to be true and God a liar. Too often I think that God and his ways are old-fashioned and over the hill. Too often I read the Word, hear the Word, preach the Word, and then ignore his holy counsel. Every day I do the opposite of what my Father outlines as holy, good, right, and blessed. Sadly, more often than not, every single day, I prove that I trust the world, the devil, my flesh, and my own adolescent head. I guess I must say, “In God I do not trust!”

But even in this wretched condition, “In God I trust.” He is the one who died on the cross for my lack of faith and faithfulness. He hates my pride, loathes my ignorance, and mourns over the consequences of my folly, but he is the one who has placed all my lack of trustworthiness on the shoulders of his Son. Jesus Christ was damned for my being dumb, and as a result of his gift, I was clothed with his unblemished record of faith. Yes, because Jesus had impeccable faith, and because he is my Savior, I am viewed as one with perfect faith and faithfulness. Because of the Gospel, I am viewed as one who “trusts in God” even though I rarely trust in God as I ought.

And the Good News continues. He is the one who gives me his faith, grants me faith to believe in him, and increases my faith. He is the one who fills me with his Spirit, the fruit of which is faithfulness. Therefore, every single day, he is guiding me to be trust him more and more. Friends, I am continually re-learning that God’s ways are higher than my ways. His thoughts are higher than mine. He is on another wave-length. He understands the laws of physics, the laws of technology, and the laws of his unseen spiritual world. He is the Designer, Engineer, Creator, Programmer, Maintainer, and Pilot. He has written a manual in my language instructing me in how to walk in wisdom. He has proven himself to be wise, beautiful, compassionate, and timeless; his credibility is off the charts. Therefore, again today, because of his love and wisdom, I will read, listen, study, and apply. He is better than Siri; he is my God, and in God I trust!

And oh that my beloved nation – the United States of America – would follow the mantra placed on her printed currency. (In God We Trust!)

However friends, how can we expect our nation to live up to this motto when we as individuals, families, and churches fail to do so? Therefore what does our nation need most? America needs revival in her inner circles. America needs her heads of households and houses of worship to better trust God. America needs her familial leaders and ecclesiastical elders to be people of the Book. We need to reed, heed, and lead like people who really trust God and his Word. The glorious consequence such familial and ecclesiastical commitment might just be this — revival and its accompanying benefits in our land.

Therefore on this Fourth of July, let us acknowledge our God, confess our sins, trust in our Redeemer and his Gospel provision, and then recommit to the mantra, “In God we trust!” Let us do so for reconciliation and salvation. Let us do so for worship and sanctification. Let us do so for ourselves, our family, our church, our community, and our nation. Happy are the people who trust in God. Blessed are they who can more and more say, “In God We Trust!”