Finding comfort in the greater wisdom of God

As pastor I have the privilege and responsibility of sharing with people what God has told us in His word. Sometimes God’s word brings comfort. But, other times God’s word calls His children to consider their actions in ways those people don’t wish to consider. I’ve often had folks tell me, “That’s old-fashioned. We live in a new day.” You see, sometimes we trust our wisdom and our feelings more than we trust God and His wisdom.

This week I found out, again, that personally I am not so wise. I went to Kenai last Sunday, July 9, to preach and to install a new pastor at Star of the North Lutheran Church. (By the way, I am extremely excited about the new pastors coming to Alaska. But more about that next week.)

Since I was on the Kenai Peninsula, I decided to take my boat and do some fishing. I performed a wedding in Wasilla on July 8, and drove to Kenai later that night staying with Wayne and Mary Mize so that I could be there to preach the next morning. I left my boat in their yard.

Around 9 p.m. on Sunday evening, when all the church services were over, I went back to the Mize’s and hooked my boat up to tow it to the cabin of Pastor George Rakos where I was going to stay and fish. I got the keys for the boat and the locks out of my tackle box, I locked the boat and trailer onto my truck, and drove away. While I was driving I wondered if I had put the keys back. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw that the tackle box was closed and thought I may have put the keys back.

But, when I got to Pastor Rakos’ cabin and looked in the tackle box, my keys weren’t there. I thought I had probably left them on the bumper. I expected my keys may have been in the Mize’s yard, or maybe the keys were on the road somewhere in the 20 miles between the Mizes’ home and Pastor Rakos’ cabin. I felt foolish and frustrated.

Then I went to unload my boat. What did I find on my bumper? My keys! They were right where I had left them. They had not blown off the bumper, or bounced off the bumper. I felt foolish, but now I also felt thankful. Pastor Rakos told me, “You’ve had a key story to tell about me for four years. Now I have a key story to tell on you for the next four years!”

How foolish and unwise we all can be. And yet sometimes, we think we are wiser than God?! How many times do we wonder why God let something happen? Why does God give laws that are different than the way people think today?

I find comfort and a reality check in I Corinthians 1:21-25. “21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.”

We all wonder about what happens in our world and in our lives. God’s answer truly is His love in Jesus. Think about this! For the Lord of Creation to suffer and die does not seem to make sense or to be wise. But, in truth and love and in wisdom, God sent His Son to save us. By our power, through our wisdom, we would be lost in our foolishness and sin. But, in the surprising wisdom and love of God, wisdom which is found in the cross, God calls us to faith, forgives our foolishness and sin, and saves us.

God has a loving reason to give us the guidance of His law and the assurance of His love in Jesus. The commandments have been given to us for a reason. God’s love is sure, even when we aren’t sure of His love. We may not always understand God’s reasons, but we should never doubt His wisdom.

Jonathan Rockey is the pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.