How has mankind gotten to know and understand God through the ages? We know that God has revealed himself supremely in his incarnate son, Jesus. We also experience God’s love and goodness daily in our personal lives. There are, however, certain passages in the Bible that don’t seem to fit our understanding of God. Likewise, personal difficulties in life don’t seem to fit either. We need to acknowledge, however, that God is far greater than we could ever conceive; we cannot put him in a box. As we read scripture, we discover that some passages are mysterious. On one occasion Jesus said, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” (John 13:7). How should we respond when we don’t understand God? 


There are times when we simply do not understand why certain things are happening to us even to the point of feeling that God has rejected us. In Psalm 74:1 the psalmist says, “O God, why hast thou cast us off forever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?” Sometimes it may seem as if God is silent and not intervening in any way.


In the New Testament Jesus told his disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, and preach the gospel. The mystery of healing is illustrated in one of the accounts of Peter’s journeys as presented in Acts 9:32-35. Peter found a certain man named Aeneas who had been sick with palsy for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise and make thy bed.” (v.34). Today, not all are healed even though many prayers are often lifted up to God. Why doesn’t God heal everyone? It is a mystery and something we cannot understand.


On another occasion (v.v.36-42) Peter was summoned to minister to a certain disciple named Tabitha (also called Dorcas) who had been sick and died. When he arrived at an upper chamber where she had been placed, he kneeled down, and prayed and told her to arise. She immediately opened her eyes and sat up. As a result, many people put their faith in the Lord.


The mystery of the gospel is something we will not fully understand on this side of glory. Up until chapter 10 of Acts all the followers of Jesus had been Jewish and did not think it was possible to become a Christian without being a Jew. But, through a vision from God, Peter was challenged not to make distinctions between clean and unclean food. He further realized that he should also not make distinctions between ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ people (i.e., Jewish and non-Jewish). At the time it was a mystery to Peter since he did not understand what God was doing. The good news of Jesus was not to be confined to the Jewish people but was for everyone in the world.


How thankful we should be that God’s plan allows people of all races to be part of his kingdom but only through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel surely is a mystery and lacks our full understanding, but our faith in its truth and our only way to be saved should prompt us to share this ‘good news’ with others. God’s sovereignty and omniscience will always trump our lack of understanding of his plans.