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Words Without Knowledge
There are thousands (perhaps millions) of Americans today who have the
know-how to do the job of the President of the United States. You don’t
believe so? To hear people talk about it, many apparently think so.
“If I were the President, our cities’ bridges wouldn’t be
collapsing.” “If I were Commander-in-Chief, we’d have captured Osama Bin
Laden years ago, and this ‘war against terror’ would be a thing of the
past.” “If I were the President, I wouldn’t sign any budget that wasn’t
balanced… My cabinet would respond perfectly to every natural disaster…
and everyone could afford prescription drugs.”
“If I were the President, I’d have gas prices back around $1 per
gallon!” Really?
It is evident to this writer that many Americans have no idea
whatsoever about the duties and responsibilities of the office of
President. The majority have never taken a class in American Government
or Civics. Though they think they know “what a terrible job the
President is doing,” they have no clue about the inner workings of our
republic and/or its economy.
Why is it that we question the job being done by those in
positions of authority, when it is we often either know nothing about
the job itself or little about the job being done?
We parents get a taste of this every so often from our children.
A couple of weeks ago one of mine questioned, “What do you and Mom DO
with all that money you make?” implying some things about our
money-management skills. This, a couple of days before they hit us up
for a chunk of ‘that money.’
Presidents and parents, their roles and performance skills, are
one matter. God and His workings in this world, however -- such is
another thing entirely. How can men even think of questioning His
operations on this globe? Yet, men do.
“Why did God allow that person to die?” “Why that cyclone or
tsunami?” “Why does God permit all the poverty in the world?” “How can
God allow that dictator to rule?” etc. (Have you ever noticed how God
gets the questions/blame for the evil that persists in the world, but
too little praise for the good? When was the last time you heard someone
ask, “Why does God allow us to have that beautiful home or that
fine-running car?”)
Beloved, we place ourselves in a mess of trouble any time we go
to questioning God’s workings in this world. If His thoughts and ways
are higher than ours as the heavens are higher than the earth (and they
are, Isaiah 55:8-9), who are we to cast doubt on His ways, let alone
think we can subject them to our finite scrutiny?
Does God grant us some insight in His word into his dealings with
men? Yes -- but there is much He does not reveal. “The secret things
belong to the Lord our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29). It is the height of
arrogance to demand that God reveal His dealings or (worse yet) that
proposes “the way of the Lord is not fair” (Ezekiel 18:29).
Do we ignorantly suppose that God should do things differently or
possibly could do them better? If so, we need to think again. Is this
not the lesson Job and His four friends learned after their debate
concerning God’s ways and purposes? “Then the LORD answered Job out of
the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words
without knowledge?… Where were you when I laid the foundations of the
earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:1-2, 4).
Let us bow before and praise the great I AM, the One Who is
eternal, Whose goings forth are from everlasting, Whose purposes and
ways are according to His limitless vision!
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”
(Romans 11:33).
--Mike Noble
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