Monday 15 March 2010

The Known Mystery


I am reading currently reading a daily devotional


"More Precious Than Silver"


Joni 's life and writings have made a deep impact on my life. In 1967 a diving accident left her a quadriplegic but the years weren 't wasted. She has encouraged others

to overcome their disabilities and live for Christ.
I would like to share a page from her devotional.

DARKNESS AND LIGHT


"Clouds and thick darkness surround Him,

righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne".


Psalm 97 ;2



"...who alone is immortal and who in unapproachable light,

whom no one has seen or can see."


1 Timothy 6;16


Notice the discrepancy there! Well, not really.

More of a paradox.On one hand God is being pictured as being cloaked in thick darkness,on the other he lives in unapproachable light.So which is it?

Its both And there is a reason why

God wants it that way He knows there is an inherent danger

in allowing us to think we can understand him

or explain him in naturalistic terms.'"Left to ourselves we

tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms.

We want to get him where we can use him or at least know where he is

when we need him We want a God we can in some measure control.

We need the feeling of security that comes from knowing what God is like". observes A W Tozer.

So what does God do?He tells us that he is surrounded by utter darkness and unapproachable light That 's impossible we think.Exactly.

Psalm 145'3 says,"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;his greatness no one

can fathom". Romans 11;33 underscores, 'Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths

beyond tracing out." Our minds are helpless before the great incomprehensible God. And although we yearn to know what can' t be known and to touch and taste

the unapproachable we can reach out for the Lord Jesus.

Yet even the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3;8

"the unsearchable riches of Christ".


In what ways do you think you have God figured out?


Do you expect him to act or be a certain way?

He is"the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end".Rev 21;6

That' s impossible you say.Exactly.

But Christ helps us break through the darkness and light

a little."In Him and through faith in Him we may

approach God with freedom and confidence".Eph 3;12



These photos are from my trip to the countryside in November last year.

These are little water carriers.

Poor people who don 't have access to a well

or hand pumps,

fill these plastic containers

and carry them on

makeshift wheelbarrows.

The jars don 't look clean

and sometimes the water source is polluted.

In a sense these photos are symbolic as

they show me that I can

cart away a little of God

from a convenient or nearby

well or fountain in my little

plastic container.

Am I seeking the true fountain of life?


7 Fertilize my soul:

Sita said...

More and more I realize that my whole journey of faith is full of God breaking apart those boxes I've put Him in that fit into my needs, my finite view of Who He is...well, if He is able to fit into our boxes, He would cease to be God, the infinite God...good lesson, Amrita..
Love, Sita

Simply Shelley said...

I was blessed to read this post Amrita and the one before as well...you are such a faithful sister in Christ...my God our Father bless you.....

Life is Severe said...

Amrita, beautiful thoughts here. I especially like this part:

"Our minds are helpless before the great incomprehensible God. And although we yearn to know what can' t be known and to touch and taste the unapproachable we can reach out for the Lord Jesus.
Yet even the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3;8 "the unsearchable riches of Christ".

In what ways do you think you have God figured out? Do you expect him to act or be a certain way?

He is"the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end".Rev 21;6
That' s impossible you say.Exactly.
But Christ helps us break through the darkness and light a little."In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence".Eph 3;12

So true, and amazing to think about.

Kathryn said...

Thank you for sharing, Amrita. I know that as humans we tend to put God in boxes. So much more understandable that way. But when we do that we miss so much! Of course, letting God be himself is scary, too.

Sending you hugs across the ocean! :)

Felisol said...

Thank you for your Bible lesson. I read about Joni years ago. It seems to me she has got a new sir name now?

I also came to think of when Jesus talked about living water with the woman at Sykar's well.
Never did he judge her after race, class or doings, nor turn away from her, but offered her salvation there and then.
He's the one we've got to follow.

Amrita said...

Thank y friends for your gracious notes.I want to share my spiritual blessings with my friends.

Dear Felisol, Joni married and became Mrs Tada.

Julia Dutta said...

Amrita,
Thank you for coming over and inviting me to this post. I truly believe that the difficulties that the Lord places in our lives, or the "cross" he gives us to carry, in the form of illness or otherwise, are truly the big chances He gives us to draw us to Him.

We have no where to go, except into His loving heart and arms. He truly is - "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" of everything we can ever know and experience.

Praise the Lord, that He brought me here to this post thru' you :-)
Julia