Unsolved Mysteries and the God who Knows Everything
A devotional by Suzanne Felton
“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”
—Job 11:7 (NIV)
I love a good mystery.
Whenever I find time to read for pleasure, I reach for a whodunnit. I scour the pages for clues as I read, trying to solve the puzzle before the fictional sleuth does. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from unravelling all the knots and tying up all the loose ends of the plot before reaching the end of the book.
Wouldn’t it be nice if real life were like a mystery novel? In a way, we are all amateur sleuths navigating life as best we can, using the facts and clues at hand to try to figure it all out. Sometimes we do have “aha moments” when the lightbulb goes on and the problem suddenly makes sense. But often, things happen that are simply beyond our comprehension. As one of my favorite mystery authors, Dorothy L. Sayers, once said, “Life is no candidate for the Detection Club.” Sayers, who was also a Christian apologist, explained that the “notion that all human situations are ‘problems’ like detective problems, capable of a single, necessary, and categorical solution . . . cannot be [true].”
Mystery stories appeal to our human desire for understanding. We want to know the “who, what, where, when and why” of the world around us. Any time we can make sense of something, life seems a little less overwhelming, and we feel a little more in control. Sometimes we can’t find the answers, though. Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense.
Perhaps the thoughts that ruminate in your mind are something like: I worked hard and excelled in my occupation, but I was still passed over for the promotion. I ate a healthy diet and did exercise regularly, but I still received an unwelcome diagnosis from my doctor. There is tragedy, injustice, grief, oppression, war, suffering, and hopelessness in the world. If God is good, why do these things happen?
The reality is that our human minds are not equipped to understand all of life’s mysteries, and that’s not really a bad thing. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” God Himself tells us that His thoughts and His ways are too big for us to grasp. Shouldn’t this be a comforting thought?
When life doesn’t make sense to us, there is Someone who does understand it, who sees the big picture and knows how it all fits together. This Someone is never baffled or confused or overwhelmed by anything. That someone is Almighty God, and He is not only omniscient, but He is always good. That means that His thoughts and His ways are always good, too, even when we can't comprehend them.
It’s not always easy to be comforted by this knowledge, though. We are human, after all, and we were created with curiosity and a thirst for understanding. I think this is where faith fits in. If we were like God and understood everything, we would have no need for Him. If we had no curiosity or longing for knowledge, we would never seek Him. Faith grows when we are able to admit that our understanding is limited and trust that His is not.
My pastor, Dr. Kris Clifford, preached a sermon this week that resonated with this devotional I was already writing. He said, “Truth often comes wrapped in mystery. When we embrace mystery, we don’t grow in knowledge—we grow in faith. Paradox isn’t a problem to solve—it’s an invitation to trust.”
Some mysteries weren’t meant for us to solve. As hard as it is for us to accept, we won’t always be able to know answers to all the “who, where, what, how and why” questions of life. We do know, though, that God is God, and God is good. Those are the only facts we really need.
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, sometimes we don’t understand why things happen, and that’s hard for us to accept. We know that Your ways are higher than our ways, though, and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We know that You are good. Please help us to trust You more each day. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Glorious Unfolding” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Suzanne Felton has been a writer for most of her life, even before she realized it.
She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms, all of which involved writing in one form or another.
Suzanne is amazed by the power of words and now uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.
Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.
She is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace. Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.
Married to her best friend for twenty-five years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband have served as deacons for over a decade. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two teenage sons. Suzanne is also an avid birder, easily and happily distracted by anything with feathers.
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Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://suzannefelton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton
Email address: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com
