Apostle Paul wondered, "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and his ways!" Paul was astonished about the depth of three of God's luxury and possessions, namely: His riches, wisdom and knowledge. He has an unlimited supply of riches, abundance of wisdom and a wealth of divine information (knowledge). Awestruck, Paul asked three important questions in the Scripture below but we are only going to consider the first question in this part one.

Reference: Romans 11:34-36 The Voice (Voice) "Who can fathom the mind of the Lord? Or who can claim to be His advisor? Or who can give to God in advance so that God must pay him back? For all that exists originates in Him, comes through Him, and is moving toward Him; so give Him the glory forever. Amen."

Expressing his profound wonder characterized by reverence, Paul asked the first question: "Who can fathom the mind of the Lord?" In other words, who knows the mind of the Lord? Ordinarily, humans lack the ability to detect what God has in mind or what He does. His mind is unreadable but thank God for the precious Holy Spirit who resides in every born again Christian. Today, by the help of the Holy Spirit, we can relate with the mind of God. The Bible says, "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" the things God has prepared for those who love him - these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV).

This means that God's Spirit in us can reveal the mind of God to us. The only reason God can do so is that the Holy Spirit lives us. Though God's thoughts and ways are high and His decisions are beyond us, we can comprehend them by simply yielding to the Holy Spirit, who searches all things, including the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11-14 (NIV) reads, "For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." This simply tells us that the mind of God is too high for the natural man, but not necessarily for those in Christ, who have the Spirit of God, because they can take advantage of God's Spirit at work in them to access the thoughts and mind of God.

In a nutshell, the question, "Who can fathom the mind of the Lord?" which also means, "who knows the mind of the Lord?", implies that ordinary minds of humans beings are limited in understanding divine counsel and so, will never be able to grasp the mind of God. But by God's grace, His Spirit is given to us when we come to Christ, and as we realize how high God's understanding is, we must regularly submit to the Holy Spirit to guide us into such truth, grant us insight into such understanding and reveal His mind concerning our lives and purpose. For this reason, 1 Corinthians 2:16 asked, "For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ." Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Job 21:22; Isaiah 41:28; Job 40:2; Luke 10:22.

Guided Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, the ways of understanding and insight belong to you. Nobody can teach you wisdom and knowledge. In the path of judgement, you judge correctly and wisely. In the path of justice, you administer justice aptly. You teach me better than the beasts of the earth and make me wiser than the birds of the air. You sustain all of your creation by providence; you arranged all things right in their ordained places, and accomplished the vast designs of creation by your Spirit. Thank you Father for managing all there is, including all things pertaining my life - by your wisdom and pleasure in Jesus' Name, Amen!