The Incomprehensible God

Last week, I asked myself, “what do I think about God?” In an honest analysis, two things became apparent. First, there are times I don’t think about God at all, which is sad because He thinks about me all of the time. Second, when I do think about Him, many times my thoughts do not reflect the reality of who He is. That is equally as sad! So I have concluded that I both want to think about Him more often, and when I do, I want those thoughts to represent (or reflect) more accurately Who He is! So where to begin?  In my last blog I mentioned that God wants us to know Him. Scripture confirms that. But can I fully know Him? 

Can I understand why He created these?

Those of us living in Maryland and Virginia are wrestling with that question.

The first attribute of God mentioned by Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy is that God is incomprehensible. This is indeed a good place to begin a study of His attributes. It is somewhat of a paradox that God invites us to know Him, and yet we can never fully know what He is like. But rather than troubling me, it is exactly this paradox that gives me comfort. Learning about God gives me peace. I know that my soul longs to know Him, and therefore, I am comforted by the mere fact that I can apprehend certain things about Him, like He is omniscient and omnipotent. Moreover, by faith through Christ I can experience Him and my soul is satisfied. At the same time I am equally comforted by the fact that I can’t fully understand everything about Him. Over the years I have met individuals who because they did not comprehend everything about God, they questioned His existence. This reasoning is difficult for me to grasp. If I could fully understand God, He would not be the God I want! I can apprehend certain things about Him, I can experience Him and have a relationship with Him, but I will never fully comprehend Him. 

Here’s a tangential example: I am glad I can’t fully understand the complexities of this, my new grandchild! The miracle of each birth draws our wonder. And points us to both understanding God better, and also realizing His incomprehensibility more effectively too.

The wonderful news for us all, is that “while the name of God is secret and His essential nature incomprehensible, He in condescending love has by revelation declared certain things to be true of Himself. These we call His attributes.” The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer

God is incomprehensible, an attribute for which I am so grateful.And in the midst of His incomprehensibilty, He makes himself accessible through Jesus, and for that I’m even more grateful. After all, we have all of eternity to know Him better. And we have the present to access Him right now. Truly, He is a God of wonders.