“There is a difference between knowing and knowledge.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 2, 2024
To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? Isaiah 40:18, RSV
Humans have spilled countless millions of words in an effort to articulate that which cannot be fully described. Yes, we serve a God who became flesh and can be known, but there is a difference between knowing and knowledge. To know God is a relational term, pointing to our familial identity as sons and daughters. If we ever seek to describe the Lord in ways that resemble scientific enquiry or the analysis of a measurable subject or substance, we miss the point entirely. As a professor of mine was fond of saying, “God is not a subject to be studied, but a mystery to be encountered.”
Often, we use our words in defense of God. Our life with Christ can therefore quickly be framed in combative terms: we are soldiers on a mission to vanquish the enemies of God! And while I am sympathetic to this impulse, if we aren’t careful, we build up an arsenal of words and arguments, ready to be deployed against our next adversary. Sadly, what’s lacking in this approach is the compassionate humility which our Lord demands of his followers, a tenderness that looks upon our enemies with compassion, even to the point of laying down our own lives in love for the other. Remember Paul’s words in Romans 5:8, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” If our words lack this love for others when they are at their worst, our faith lacks the aroma of Christ.
When we remember that the Lord is ruling and reigning on high, we are liberated from the burden of feeling like the “success” or “promotion” of our faith rests upon our shoulders. God is in control and more than powerful to defend himself and vanquish his foes. Yet let us never forget: his foes are vanquished by the sacrificial love of the Cross and the triumph of the empty tomb. It is in this hope that we rest, and are thus liberated to join our hearts with the words of Isaiah 40, standing in stilled reverence and saying, “Who can compare with you, O Lord?”
Prayer
Father, today we stand in silent reverence, letting our words be few, that we may learn to rest in the wonder and mystery of simply being known by you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Reflect upon the words of Isaiah 40:18 today in silent prayer and meditation.
Related Reading
Exodus 8:10; Isaiah 40:25; Micah 7:18
Worship Resource
Matt Redman: The Heart of Worship
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