Romans 11:33-36
Scripture:
Romans 11:33-36 (ESV)
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Devotion:
At the heart of Romans 11, Paul ends his complex discussion about God’s mercy and justice with a sudden explosion of worship. He has been talking about how God’s ways are much higher than our ways, about how God’s decisions are beyond our comprehension, and about how God’s mercy is sometimes unfathomable. This all confronts us with the awe inspiring reality of God’s greatness and our smallness.
As Paul reflects on this, he suddenly bursts out in worship. Paul reminds us that God’s ways are not only different from ours, but they are beyond our full comprehension. This doesn’t mean we throw up our hands and give up on understanding life. No this rather, it’s an invitation to trust in His perfect wisdom and knowledge. And as we do so, we fall before God in worship.
Notice what he is being worshipped for:
His great wisdom: God will make wise choices and decisions we don’t understand. This reminds us to worship him as as the all-wise one.
His inscrutable ways: This invites us to worship Him because he is beyond us – we are to embrace His mystery.
His “un-counselability”: We cannot every give something to God that wasn’t already his. We can’t out-think God. We can’t give him advice. This is an invitation to humbly bow down and worship him as the all knowing one.
His eternal creativity: We are finite creatures. He is the infinite creator. Our place as created creatures is to worship him.
Now how can we worship God in all those ways? By following Jesus. Jesus is the one who shows us what it truly looks like to trust God’s wisdom, bigness, sovereignty and mystery. When Jesus prays “Not my will, but yours be done”, he shows us how to embrace even immense suffering knowing that God’s got it under control. He embodies the perfect trust in God’s wisdom that we strive for, showing that through God, even the worst scenarios are woven into a greater tapestry of grace.
Prayer:
Lord, your wisdom and knowledge are deep and unfathomable, and yet, I often find myself doubting your ways when I face trials. Help me to trust in your perfect plan as Jesus did, knowing that everything is from you, through you, and for your glory. Teach me to rest in the assurance that you are always at work, even when your ways are beyond my understanding. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Today, identify a situation in your life that is difficult to understand or accept. Dedicate time to pray about this situation, specifically asking for the grace to trust in God’s wisdom and timing, just as Jesus did. Try to view this circumstance through the lens of faith, acknowledging that God’s ways, though mysterious, are perfect.