I love this passage (Romans 11:33-36) where Paul gets so overwhelmed with God that his excitement splashes out onto the page.

33A – O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

It may be silly but I see a picture here of Uncle Scrooge, the rich duck, who loved to dive into his rooms full of money and swim around in it. The depth of the riches of God is even deeper than Scrooge’s vault. And God’s riches are of wisdom and knowledge – deeper, richer, wiser, more enduring than gold or silver.

It is like Paul sits back in his chair awed by it – Ohhh, the depth of the riches of God. Both His wisdom and His knowledge are incomprehensible.

It makes me want to dive into that vault of wisdom and knowledge and swim around in it. Can you imagine how many of our problems would vaporize if we had God’s wisdom and knowledge on our life situations? Wouldn’t our entire life change if we could see things as God sees them? I think so.

33B – how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

No wonder there is so much disunity in the Family of God. We all think we have God’s ways figured out and His ways are our ways. Anybody that worships different than us, believes different than us, sees God differently than we do is just plain wrong because we have Him figured out.

How wonderful it would be if we could go ahead and hold on to the things that we think we understand about God but realize His judgments and His ways are “past finding out”. Which means, unless you or I are an exception to God’s Word then we do NOT have Him figured out. So give grace to others who figure differently than we do because, most likely, we are both wrong. Can you live with that?

To reinforce the point that we do not have God figured out, Paul in awe of the greatness of God says,

 34 – For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?

Here is the unparalleled Apostle who was given a thorn in the flesh because of his great revelations, the one who we have reason to believe was personally discipled by the Risen Christ while walking heavenly halls – in awestruck wonder he asks a rhetorical question – Do you think you understand God’s mind and can give Him some tips on running the universe?

If these things are “past finding out” then we do not begin to comprehend His plan, His purposes, His judgments, His ways or His mind.

Something inside me rises up a little in revolt against the idea that after all these years of serving Him – and studying Him – I don’t really know the first thing about Him? I think that little rebel rising up is pride.

But how great this God must be if all that I understand about Him from His revealed Word, the curtain He has pulled back to give us a tiny peek backstage into His grandeur – if even with all that “his ways are past finding out” then this God must be quite an awesome Being – far beyond what I have dreamed Him to be even in my wildest imaginations.

Here it gets real practical –

35 – Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

Look what this says here. So I think I can give something to God and He will not give back to me? It is not like He could ever owe us anything because it all belongs to Him – the earth is the Lord’s – but it says here that whatever I give to Him, He is not going to be a debtor to me. He will give back, recompense me, compensate me.

So are you afraid of giving a few dollars to God – or of giving your whole life to Him? Paul says, “Do you think you can give something to God and come out the loser for doing so?” You can’t give to God that He does not compensate – recompense – you for it. Give a little and get back a little. Give it all and get back it all. As Jesus said, “with the measure you give it will be given back to you.” You chose the measure – teaspoon or barrels – that you will be recompensed by God.

And here is an important point – my life is limited by the size of my God. If I have a tiny God I will pray tiny prayers, expect tiny things, walk in timidity among the big gods of this world. But if my God is all surpassing in His greatness then I can expect Him to do huge things in my life to bring glory to Himself. I can walk fearlessly among the tiny gods of this world knowing there is none comparable to my God. He is all in all, unsurpassed in His mercy, His kindness, His justice and His love. I can boldly attack life knowing if God is for me, who can be against me.

 36 – For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

It all came from Him and it will all return to Him. What a glorious, indescribable God. To Him be glory forever!
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Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.

God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.