When In Doubt, Praise God!

I doubt if, when Paul wrote what we know as Romans chapter 11, he had any idea of how what he wrote would be interpreted two thousand years later.  I wonder if he had a sense of the “weight” of what he wrote?  I wonder if he wrote through verse 32 and then re-read it before he wrote the last section of this chapter.  I find Paul’s words very comforting as I struggle with understanding, interpreting and applying this section of Romans.  Here is what Paul writes:  “³³ 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!  ³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has become His counselor?”  ³⁵ “Or who has first given to Him  And it shall be repaid to him?”  ³⁶ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

I don’t understand the complete connection between God’s sovereign election and man’s free will to choose to receive Christ.  I’m also very glad that I don’t have to completely understand it.  Like Paul, I can trust in the wisdom and knowledge of God. I don’t need to be God’s counselor and I’m quite sure that He is not looking to me, or you, for advice or counsel. I am so glad that I can praise Him for His work and His word.  I place my faith and hope in a God whose ways are past finding out.  But isn’t that what we’d expect from God?  I mean, if we could figure everything out about Him, then He’d be a little too much like us to help us!  Thanks for working through chapters ten and eleven with me.  There’s much, much more that could have been said but I try to keep these posts relatively short.  Whenever you find yourself in a spiritual conundrum I suggest you do as much research and prayer as possible, and then finally surrender it all to the One “for of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever”.  Amen!