Ezra is three years old, which means he is really cute sometimes but it also means he has entered that “why" stage. While his curiosity can be an endearing quality, it can quickly become irritating as I attempt to find the sometimes impossible answers to the infamous, seemingly endless “why” questions. The good news is that children DO outgrow this stage! (So I hear, I’ll keep you posted.)
God designed us as beings with a deep desire to understand. We are curious, analytical beings with a drive to make sense of things and much of our time is spent on the quest for knowledge. There are industries built on our desire to know like Ancestory.com where you can discover your family genealogy. Even with our smart phones we have the ability to hold in our palms a device that can find the answer to a question in mere seconds!
While God designed us with this drive and quest for knowledge, we must be careful with our attempt to know it all. Our sinful nature can lead us to a false sense of security and the thinking that we can figure it all out on our own. Paul Tripp describes this as the “If only I could understand this or that, then I’d be secure” way of living. But God doesn’t want us to live like that and no matter how intelligent we are, no matter how many degrees we hold, no matter how much research we do, we will always face things in our lives that don’t make sense, don’t seem to belong, or don’t seem to serve a purpose. We will find ourselves constantly chasing our tails looking for rest in our own knowledge, which leaves us empty every single time. Instead, God wants us to look for our rest and trust in Him. He holds all the answers to the universe and He rules it all for his glory and for our good.
I want to encourage you to look for your rest in the One who created all, the One who knows all, and the One who holds all.
Psalm 62:5-8: For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory, my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.