S191P3 – Ecclesiastical truths: always more to learn
Ecc. 3:11
He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity in the human heart—yet man cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Oh, the way we twist and pervert the longings that God places in our hearts! This man had billions of dollars to spend during this life, and he knew exactly the project to which he would commit his funds. His goal was to live forever. He knew that it would be physically impossible for his body not to break down, so he decided that his project would be to find a way for his consciousness, what he referred to as his essence, to continue long after his body was gone. He needed to figure out how to take that essence and place it somewhere so that he could continue thinking and feeling and existing long after his body quit. The goal was to be eternal so that he could see all things and know all things. Our limited time and knowledge was not enough for him, and he desired to know all.
God has placed in all of us the desire to continue beyond this short, natural life. We do not need to be people of faith to know this. For some people, that desire is closely related to gaining knowledge. The thing is, we could live an eternity in this world and still not know all that there is to know. The most important things to know are all found in God, and He is much more than we can fathom. We do not get to the point in this life at which we have come to know him inside and out. We get bits and pieces, glimpses of his character, but there is always more to learn about him. That is one of the most magical aspects of this chase. The more we seek and find God, the more we realize that there are even greater truths to pursue in him. He always leaves us wanting more simply because there is so much more to him.
We never should get to the point where we feel like we have it all figured out. Yes, there are certain things on which we can rely regarding God’s character. There are truths on which we can stand, and that always will be the case. This does not mean, however, that we know it all. There is always another layer of God beyond that which our minds can comprehend. While we are still limited in this order of things, He always will have more to reveal to us. The hope is that we never tire of pursuing all there is of him. If we really love him, we will want to know him more every day. Father, make our desire for knowledge holy and right, and keep us persistent in our search for the deeper parts of You.