God Is Confusing And Able

The commute today was sandwiched between songs about the God that is able and the God that is confusing. That is ever the tension. It is made worse in this clay body and this plastic world. We know who God is but we know too who we are---and what we are not. We view our trial and know what we want. God doesn’t always solve it, doesn’t always act, doesn’t always answer. We cry out because we know God can but wonder if He will.

There are always those Pollyanna people that point out that God granted Job more children and returned wealth and property. He still grieved the loss of his firstborn. The restoration doesn’t supplant the staggering loss. Job lays his hand on his mouth. He professes, “I know that you can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted…”

“I don’t know what you’re doing but I know you,” is the refrain to the second song. Life is confusing. Knowing that God is able is what distresses us more. He is able so why won’t He act as we think He should? We cast our clay selves back onto God. With Job we admit that His ways are far above our understanding. With the Psalmist we have to get the right view; “When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God.” God is able, God is holy, God is sovereign. We rest in who He is and that allows us to hope in what He does---or doesn’t---do.