David and Linda,
Great comments! I agree that part of our need to struggle is for us to build up faith. I’m glad God knows just the right amount that each of us needs to accomplish that. Hopefully that’s our goal with our kids too–to know what will best help them for their own good. Unfortunately, I’m certain we’re never as wise as we would like to be in making those decisions though. 😉

I’ve been pondering just this thing this week at my blog.
http:/dawnskelton.blogspot.com. ‘All that matters in the Messy Moments’ Thanks for your confirmation of this truth.

Dear Linda

Thank you for your reply. I like that passage from Peter’s letter.

I agree with you, and I think it must be that the process of development is important – the struggle, the journey itself. The strongest impression I have from reading the Old Testament is of the ongoing, developing relationship between God and His people.

David

Perhaps because what really matters is that we develop faith; it’s more precious than gold! Its outcome–salvation! Just reading in I Peter 1:1-12…We’ve been born again to a living hope which even the angels couldn’t comprehend when it was introduced to mankind! All that God reveals and all that He hides are ultimately for His glory and the growth of our faith in Him. I’m pondering these things today.

I think I can see both sides of this.

On the one hand I agree with you: Packer’s vision (here) seems a little bleak. The universe ir a big place, reality is complex, our understanding of reality and our relationship with God is unfolding in time — as it necessarily does: we exist in time. Perhaps Packer is impatient or greedy, or his yearning tumbles over into pessimism.

On the other hand, and following your analogy, we do hide things from our children, and we certainly are careful to structure their environment so that they develop in a certain way.

Why did God arrange things so we have to struggle for revelation? — over a lifetime, over the millions of years we’ve been here as humans, and on into the future.

David

Thanks, Ceil. My dad taught all us kids to be ones who question. He questioned things all his life–I think that planted in me the seed to always keep seeking and searching for more. Sometimes that gets me in trouble. 🙂 But more often, it helps me see where I have been wrong and need to learn more myself.

Yes, who among us can understand God? Impossible. And that’s a good thing.

You’re right that we too often put others on an intellectual or spiritual pedestal. While we can and should recognize others who are wiser and more mature, none of us are beyond questioning and growing.

I loved the “Captain Phillips” movie and the book. Riveting stuff. Hopefully it’s only stuff I’ll only read about and watch on the screen and never have to live out. 🙂

I appreciate you sharing all this, Linda. Your words make a lot of sense to me. I’m with you–God desires our participation in doing his will. He wants to make that more possible for us, not less. And yes, we’re not capable of understanding everything–nor should we even attempt to understand everything–because we can’t see all the spiritual implications behind the scenes. But thankfully we can trust that God does know, and that’s enough!

Thank you so much, Jean. I totally agree with you–God is too big for us to see at times! He’s not hiding himself; we’re just not capable of taking in all his majesty.

We all have our own informed Spirits, and we know what resonates with us. It’s good and right to stretch our minds and hearts through reading other authors, and getting new insights. That doesn’t mean that all of it will seep in. It might be timing, it might be that his experiences are different from yours.

God is infinite and holy, how can any of us understand completely who He is, or how He is? I say, keep reading, keep wondering, keep reflecting. That’s what keeps us closer to God, and mature in our faith,
Blessings,
Ceil