Beyond Our Reach?

Does God ever seem far away? Do you find it hard to understand parts of the Bible? Truth is, all of us have some unanswered questions about the Lord. All of us struggle at times to discern God's will and obey it.

God's ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts higher than ours. As Job learned, our arms are too short to box with the Creator of the universe. He doesn't have to explain himself to us.

And yet, in spite of our sins and weaknesses, the basic truths of the Bible are not beyond our ability to grasp and obey. Moses encouraged the people of Israel and said, "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven . . . . Nor is it beyond the sea . . . . No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).

We shouldn't excuse our disobedience by saying, "God's commands are too hard to comprehend." Often God's will isn't mysterious at all; it's uncomfortably plain. The problem isn't with God's will, but with ours. "It is God's will . . . that you should avoid sexual immorality." "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:18). We may find these statements hard to obey, but they are not hard to understand. God has made himself clear enough. Are we willing to comply? James 4:8 says, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

Steve Wilkin serves as a campus minister at Virginia Tech University.

After 32 people were gunned down by a student who then took his own life, Steve and his wife Stacey suddenly found themselves in a unique position to help many students involved with their ministry. In a time of confusion and incredible pain, while many were saying they didn't have any answers, the Wilkins were able to offer comfort and encouragement because biblical truth was within their reach: truth about good and evil, about God's presence in times of suffering, about genuine hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Steve says:

I think the Bible does teach answers to the questions people are asking in the wake of this tragedy. Maybe the Christians who say they don't have any answers are just being modest, or maybe they need to study more, or maybe they are just voicing the difficulty of expressing the answers the Bible offers in a way that people in agony will accept. I believe the answers are intellectually satisfying, but that doesn't mean they take all the pain away. I think the inability to take all the pain away is often what Christians are really referring to when they say they don't have any answers. But we should state that more carefully lest we leave the impression that our faith is not well founded.

Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Certain things will always be beyond our reach, but let's obey the Lord in all the areas where we do understand. And let's be grateful that even when the Lord seems far away, he's always reaching out—and his hands are filled with grace.