Reverence Is More Important than Understanding

Exodus 3:13-14 (NLT)
“13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.””

In the book of Exodus 3:14, Moses encounters a profound revelation of God’s identity. When Moses asked the Almighty regarding His name, God responds with a declaration that transcends human comprehension: “I Am Who I Am.” This unfathomable statement captures the inexpressible essence of God’s being, affirming His self-existence and eternal nature. It is a truth that transcends human logic or finite understanding. Full of all things good, God never acts illegally, evilly, or unjustly. This emphasizes why it’s crucial to hold God in absolute reverence rather than trying to understand His infallible nature and how He is who He is.

Contemplating the incomprehensible nature of God’s existence often leads believers scratching their heads with profound questions that exceed the limitations of human reason. How God exists without a beginning and end has puzzled theologians and philosophers for centuries. Despite our earnest efforts, we’re left with awe and wonder, facing the humbling reality of our limited intellect when it comes to the mysteries of God’s being, brilliance, and eternality. He said in Isaiah 55:9(NLT), “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” This will forever be true.

Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT): “Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.” Solomon’s words in this verse compare the mysterious workings of God to things we can’t fully understand, like the wind’s path or the development of life within a mother’s womb. These mysterious workings of God transcend human understanding. Solomon points out that trying to solve them like a math problem just isn’t going to work. God is too vast, omnipotent, omniscient, and perfect for imperfect beings to conclusively define. Our equations and scrutiny can’t hold a candle to His greatness.

Trying to break down and analyze God’s characteristics in order to make Him fit into our limited understanding shows a misunderstanding of how big and beyond us He really is. God can’t be simplified; His all-powerfulness, all-knowingness, and being everywhere at once make Him way too big for us to fully grasp intellectually. But spiritually, we can know Him in a way that is far more intimate than simply tickling our minds.

Colossians 1:19-20 (NLT) states: “19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” Attempts to bring our Heavenly Father down to our levels are futile. Through Jesus Christ, and through His unyielding mercy and grace, God has given us the way to come into His presence. Although we can’t fully comprehend all that He is, we can reverence and honor Him because He, in His infinite and unconditional love, has made it possible for us to do so.

When we try to make God seem more like something we can understand, we end up making Him seem smaller, and that’s not going to work. Religion is one of the ways that we try to do this, trying to fit God into our small boxes, which often risks misunderstanding the greatness of His love altogether. God’s Word isn’t just something to study or admire—it’s meant to change us and bring us closer to God. We should be thankful that it’s not about intellectual mastery but about a deep awe and reverence of God and letting that change us is what pleases Him.

Prioritizing reverence over understanding is a shift from operating in the flesh to deep diving into the spiritual life of Christ. It recognizes the boundaries of human intellect and affirms the limitless vastness of God’s greatness. As we strive to delve into the depths of divine revelation, let’s approach it with hearts filled with reverence, minds humbled by the enormity of God’s existence, and spirits surrendered to the magnificence of His presence. We can be settled and at peace with the information God has already given us about who He is. By studying the knowledge of Christ, we can understand the realities of God’s Kingdom, helping us to live lives that please and honor our Heavenly Father. Let’s focus on continually reverencing, loving, and adoring God more deeply. Then our hearts can swell increasingly with His love, and we can be the examples of Christ He has called us to be. ■

Walk in the Light Outreach

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ