S117P12 – Through Solomon’s eyes: so, so, so much we cannot know
Ecc. 8:16-17
When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
As a child, she had visited the park many times. That was almost the only place they went on family vacations because they loved it so much. Although the area was vast, they knew every attraction like the backs of their hands. It was not until she became older and decided to move near the park and work there that she realized the huge undertaking it was to keep that fantastical world going day in and day out. There were thousands of workers, many who never would meet or even cross paths. Even after working there for decades, there were parts of that operation that were completely foreign and unknown to her. It was a wonder how seamlessly everything worked considering that no one person could even manage or track it all.
It takes a lot to keep the world going. Of course, there are two kinds of work being done here. First, there is the work that God has done in his creation and the work being done by him to keep creation going. We can try to catalog and analyze it all, but we never will get to that point. In fact, even new species of animals are discovered all the time. Second, there is the work that man does on this Earth. So many countries and so many people, it is a wonder that we can manage power, heating, and so many basic necessities for such a large population. If one person would try to observe it all, no one could. We cannot see it all; we cannot know it all. Only God has the capacity for that, and only He knows the constant work that goes into keeping this world moving.
I have felt like many people (and like Solomon) and have wanted to know it all. We can thirst for knowledge, and that is good. We can thirst for wisdom, and that also is good. The crazy thing is that, the more we seek and gain both of these, the more we realize how much we still do not know. The pride that comes from expanding our knowledge and wisdom must be accompanied by the humility of knowing how limited we are in those areas. Some of us can barely manage a household let alone the operations of the world, but that is fine. The Lord oversees it all. Father, we praise You for your knowledge and wisdom, for the way You manage creation and keep this world going.