Devotionals for the Heart: Reasons why we don't need to know it all

Why We Don't Need to Know it All
A devotional by Kayla de Jong

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

You have likely experienced some confusion when reading your Bible, as have I.

How did you react? Did you beg God to open your heart to comprehend His Word? Did you push your questions to the back of your mind only to have them later intrude your thoughts and induce worry? Did you just give up on reading the Bible altogether?

I often put pressure on myself when I come across a biblical concept that I don’t understand because I have believed the lie that to be a follower of God, I have to understand what every passage in the Bible means and attempt to make the entire Bible apply to my life.

I subconsciously think I am doing the righteous thing by fretting about how I don’t know the answer to my spiritual question and proceed to deny myself peace of mind until I get the answer I “deserve”. But God wants us to have peace in all the storms of life, even the spiritual ones. And God does not give us all the answers, but He does give us hope!

Let’s look at some verses to see what God wants us to do when we are struggling with wanting to “know it all” about the Bible. While the verses may not have been written about this specific issue, I think they are reminders of how God deals with His children, what He expects of us, and how He defines wisdom.

Psalms 139 is a great chapter about God’s omniscience and omnipresence, and I suggest you take some time to familiarize yourself with it. Psalm 139:1 (NIV) says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” To me, this is saying that God knows how much I desire to be close to Him. And He knows what spiritual revelations I actually need, and which ones I convince myself I need in order to serve God better. He also knows when I am making an idol out of having all the answers to all my questions as a Christian. Yes, it is possible to idolize the attainment of information.

Here are some more verses to ponder as we consider this topic:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) says: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Now let’s summarize all the verses from this devotional. 

Here are the beliefs I can cling to when a desire for all the answers to life’s questions sows seeds of worry and unease in me:

• Reverent fear of God and worshipping Him is true wisdom. It is part of my purpose.
• When I stray from living in God’s wisdom, His grace covers me. I can delight in not knowing it all because in my weakness (or lack of understanding), I am aware of my need for God’s insight and guidance.
• God knows me better than I know myself. If I trust Him, I will obey Him, not live according to my own understanding of how I think life should be.
• My limited knowledge is nothing compared to God’s infinite wisdom.

This is what God is teaching me: Being a Christian does not require me to know everything God knows. Not knowing everything requires me to trust God. I think we could all benefit from praying less for information and more often for revelation. The key difference between the two is that information is the attainment of knowledge while revelation is the attainment of understanding. We can spend countless hours gaining information from the Bible and other resources about biblical context and culture, but I believe God is the source of revelation and of understanding. It is when we have revelation that we know God and His ways more intimately in a life-changing, practical sort of way.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord,

Help me to live in peace when I do not understand aspects of Christianity and the Bible that I think I should. Thank you for Your grace and guidance and for teaching me that You alone are God, and You alone are omniscient. May I worship You, not knowledge. Thank You for blessing me with Your wisdom and may I live wisely to glorify You.

In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Oh, I Want To Know You More” by Steve Green. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Hi! I’m Kayla de Jong! 

I’ve lived in Indiana my whole life and was blessed to have been raised in a Christian household. I have an associate degree in library science and have worked in various libraries for over six years. I love reading and writing!

I have mostly written poems, some of which were published in the compiled works of a local writers guild. I am in the middle of seeking a new career. I would love to be an author, artist, or journalist. But most of all, I would love to be a stay-at-home mom someday.

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Connect with Kayla:
E-mail: kaylagmcdaniel@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Putting our faith in a God who knows everything

We Have Access to an All-Knowing God
A devotional by Dr. Jessica B. Turner

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

—Proverbs 2:6 (ESV)

We live in such a time where a question can be asked and within seconds an answer is dropped into your hands. Literally.

It’s hard to truly grasp the depth of knowledge we have within our fingertips with all the technology we have. The advancements that have been made since I was a kid are mind-blowing! No longer are the days of going to the library and checking out books to expand your understanding of a particular topic.

I was reminded of this as I re-entered motherhood after an eight-year hiatus. Long gone were the days of searching for answers concerning sleep training and colic remedies. They had since been replaced with questions concerning how to raise girls in this day of age.

Overnight, I found myself bombarded with questions regarding the well-being of my son. While many things were trivial, others were a real source of anxiety to our family. At which point was a particular issue worth pursuing? Which specialists should we see to further explore the concerns we were having?

I would like to say that my first response to so many unknowns was turning to my Heavenly Father, but it wasn’t. Sadly, I became very good at scouring all the mommy sites for solutions. It was only after being overloaded with more information than any one person could process that I brought God into the equation.

One of the many nights when I sat rocking my little one to sleep, God gently reminded me of this scripture (Proverbs 2:6 ESV) that says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

In the midst of my sleep deprived state, I had forgotten that there is only one source of knowledge I need to rely on during this season and any season: God. After all, He is all-knowing.

God is familiar with every inch of my son. He understands the intricacies of his body and holds insight as to what is best for its development. He doesn’t have to comb through articles to get the latest and greatest treatment options. He already knows everything, and He was patiently waiting for me to recognize that.

I think all too often we forget this characteristic of God. Or we remember but feel as if our questions are more of a burden than a welcomed invitation to draw closer to Him.

When we turn first to our Lord for answers, He not only saves us time that would otherwise be wasted, but He also covers us with His peace in the process. By trusting Him, we are taking the pressure off ourselves to get it right and placing our confidence in the One who created all things. I can’t think of anything more comforting than that!

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, Maker of the Heavens and the Earth, help me to see that You are the only source I need when I am faced with unknowns. While there may be a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips, You have the answers to the things that concern me. All I have to do is ask and You will open Your mouth! I love You and I trust You. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Jessica B. Turner is a wife, mom, and LSU graduate with a degree in veterinary medicine.

 

After practicing small animal medicine for six years, she traded in her stethoscope to become an online wellness coach, motivational speaker, and writer with a passion for mental health advocacy. This major life change was sparked after Jessica struggled with postpartum depression soon after she birthed her twin girls.

Along with Jessica’s career change came the discovery of who Jesus Christ really is and how He was the missing piece for her to be able to move forward from past trauma that she had suppressed for decades.

Jesus walked alongside Jessica as she underwent a transformation like none other. God transformed Jessica’s life from a broken mom who struggled with depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and PTSD from witnessing an attempted suicide, to using her experiences to make her a powerful vessel for Him. To this day, God enables Jessica to touch the lives of others through her often unfiltered, yet inviting, form of storytelling.

Throughout this process of refinement, Jessica has shared her life story with the world through her social media platforms, in-person events, blog posts, and podcasts. She values the gift of transparency and has discovered that what so many people need to know is that they are not alone. Jessica has walked in their shoes, and she wants the world to know that Jesus is walking with them as well.

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Connect with Jessica:
Website: www.jessicabturner.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicabturner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicabturner/