Do you ever want to know it ALL right now?

[bambam]

I have so many questions that I go through my day wanting to come here and ask them.  Many times I forget the questions by the time I get here because I spend all my time reading!    My heart is sometimes deeply troubled at not understanding it all, and at other times I want to let myself be completely excited about what God is doing.  I think part of my problem is a lack of trust.  I feel like I am really struggling to believe.  Yet, if it's all true-wow.  what an awesome truth that God DID create all of us to make us in His image-eventually, and that He isn't going to just discard most of humanity to suffer torture for all eternity.  Actually that is the part that I have the least trouble with-if any.  That fear is what led me here-and I thank God that I am here.  But, the questions in my mind are continuously with me and many times hard to put into words to explain them.  Just a little while ago I felt like just stopping and not doing anything with all of this for awhile as it is a bit overwhelming.  But I can't-I don't want to. I want to know the truth-every last detail-and not being able to know it all right now is frustrating to me at times( I am learning patience ).  So, amidst all of my thoughts, a verse stuck out to me that brings it all home in some ways. 

Ephesians 3:20  Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or THINK[/b][/b][/b]  according to the power that worketh in us.

He is able to do more-exceeding abundantly more-than I could ever dream!!  But then I read up a few verses where Paul tells the Ephesians that he is praying for them. 

verses 16-19  "That He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to COMPREHEND with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which PASSETH KNOWLEDGE, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

I want to know that love-the breadth, and length, and depth, and height-the love of Christ that exceeds my limited human mind.  Are we all going to know this by the time He is donewith it all?

I finally stopped tonight and thought, "I may not understand all of the whys and whats and whos and whens of it all-but I understand the final outcome!".   I  also understand that God will give me the knowledge I need when I need it-that's the hardest part for me-not knowing it all.  But I have to rest in the fact that He is able to and going to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE all that I could ever ask or think.  I would ask him for a happily ever after ending! .  Like say, saving ALL of humanity! 

Continually in awe of the real God that I am beginning to learn about!!!!     

[skydreamers]

Beautiful post Beth!  I really relate to what you are saying, because I too want to know it all...but God is continually humbling me in this.  The searching and learning will not end in this lifetime.  It is overwhelming to realize how little you know in comparison with the vastness of the scriptures and all that they contain.  I don't think any one person can know it ALL in his lifetime. 

I want to know that love-the breadth, and length, and depth, and height-the love of Christ that exceeds my limited human mind.  Are we all going to know this by the time He is donewith it all?

I finally stopped tonight and thought, "I may not understand all of the whys and whats and whos and whens of it all-but I understand the final outcome!".   I  also understand that God will give me the knowledge I need when I need it-that's the hardest part for me-not knowing it all.  But I have to rest in the fact that He is able to and going to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE all that I could ever ask or think.  I would ask him for a happily ever after ending! Grin Roll Eyes.  Like say, saving ALL of humanity!

When the cry of your heart is to know the Love, you're on the right track no matter what you "know":

1 Corinthians 8:1
we know that "all of us possess knowledge." "Knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up.

Ecclesiastes 12:11-14
11  The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.
12  My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.
13  After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.

Matthew 22:36-38
36  "Teacher," he asked, "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37  Jesus answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38  This is the greatest and the most important commandment.

Peace,
Diana

[DizzyD]

                   Hey Bam I know how you feel about having all these questions and then when you get on the puter you can't remember them or you can't get them out on the screen the way they are in your head. I have the same frusrations. I had a initial knee jerk reaction when you were stating wanting to know everything now.....and that is that we live in a society that wants instant results from whatever, instant grits, instant coffee, instant potatos, instant gravy, instant whatever to me is as never as good as the item that it takes to prepare the proper and right way and so it is with our sprituality. All things come in due time and I believe that we are given the proper amount of understanding as we can handle or need. When we go to the doctor for physical ailments and he says here's some medicine take 1 a day it would be a bad thing to go home and take the entire bottle. So we just have to remember and trust that in His wisdom and due time these things will be revealed, He is the doctor we are the patient

                                      Bud

[YellowStone]

Hi Beth,

Your post reminds me of a song I once knew    "I want it all and I want it now....."

I remember being where you are, I wanted to know anything that was truth. Heck, I didn't even know what I was searching for, but I did know it when I found it.

Diane

Your post was beautiful and so very wise. 

Your reference to Ecclesiastes 12:13 about too much study is eactly how it was for me. It wasn't until I learned (shown by God) that "truth" speaks to the heart and this is where my study must originate that clouds of confusion began to recede. Up to this point, the words that I crammed into my mind were not revealing the truth, but instead further concealing it.

I also love the way you included the "greatest commandment" of loving God with all your heart, soul and mind.

The only thing I would add to this is the "Second greatest commandment"

Mat 22:39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

On these two "simple" instructions, the entire truth rests.

Great post,

Love to all in Christ,
Darren

[mari_et_pere]

Beth, there's a lot to learn isn't there? I'm still learning and hopefully I always will be learning. I never want to stop until I know it all. Is there a way to know it all?

No, because our Lord knows we can't handle the truth. Not all at once. How much of a culture shock was it to you when you first learned the truths that you've learned so far? Probably a big one huh? How much more then if you had all of it dumped on you at once? I don't think anyone would be able to process that much info, that many differences to their current beliefs. It would be overload. I'll take it as Jesus allows me to recieve it. I try to keep this in mind:

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Keep seeking and asking, but don't forget where and who! Don't seek it from the dogs and swine, don't pay someone to tell you the same thing every Sunday. Ask the Lord to reveal it to you, then seek it, and you'll find it.

It'll just take awhile. 

Still seeking along with you,

Matt

[YellowStone]

Mat,

You wrote:

Beth, there's a lot to learn isn't there? I'm still learning and hopefully I always will be learning. I never want to stop until I know it all. Is there a way to know it all?

What you said here reminds me of something Demi Moore once said.

She said something like: "I pray that I never stop learning, so that I don't have to know it all."

This struck me as one of the most simple truths yet profound statements that I heard in a very long time. For in all truth, if one closes themselves off from learning/considering something new, are they not saying I know all I need. That, to me is the cornerstone of ignorance.

God uses all kinds to get His message across, doesn't He? 

Yes, seeking with the heart is WAY different than seeking with the mind.

Great response MAT!

Darren

[mari_et_pere]

I just thought of something else. Darren said:

For in all truth, if one closes themselves off from learning/considering something new, are they not saying I know all I need. That, to me is the cornerstone of ignorance.

How true! And when they quit learning (especially if they "know it all") then what's happening in reality is they are becoming stagnate and stale, with no new insights, no new ideas, no new ways of explaining the truth to others. And let's assume for a second, that something that we learned is actually not true. What then, if we no longer pursue truth? We'll always continue believing the lie that we thought was truth. That kind of reminds me of church. 

Jesus never said, "Hurry up and learn this already so you can quit studying." 

This all being said, I still agree with ya Beth! I'd love to know it all now! I just know it isn't so.   

Matt

[skydreamers]

Even the disciples who had daily and direct access to Jesus couldn't understand and take in all the truth all at once:



From Twelve God-Given Truths to Understand His Word
http://bible-truths.com/twelve.htm

Yes, Jesus told them "ALL things,"  but, "they understood NONE OF THESE THINGS" (Luke 18:34)!

Surely the question will arise: If at the end of Christ's ministry, "they understood none of these things...," of what value were those three and one half years that Jesus taught them? Tis true that they did not understand Christ's gospel and message during His ministry, and during this mentoring, but it was not for naught.

Three things were to happen:

    [1] "But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you will REMEMBER that I told you of them" (John 16:4).

This is how the gospel accounts could be written 30-40 years later, because God caused them to "remember" all these things. Remember how I taught in my "Lake of Fire" series, that in Revelation 1:10 & 12 John, "...heard behind" him, a trumpet, and he "turned to see..." And that is how we come to understand many things in the spirit. It is only when we turn and look behind us that we see what we didn't see while it was actually taking place.

    "These things understood NOT His disciples at that time: but when Jesus was glorified, then REMEMBERED they that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things unto Him" (John 12:16).

    "Then REMEMBERED I the word of the Lord, how that He said..." (Acts 11:16).

    [2] "And He said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you... Then opened he their understanding, that they might UNDERSTAND the Scriptures" (Luke 24:44-45).

    [3] After three and one half years of personal tutoring and training of His disciples, Jesus told them at the last supper, "I have yet MANY THINGS to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them NOW" (John 16:12).

And so the disciples understood many things [1] after they came to pass, [2] again when Jesus opened their understanding, and [3] many more things as they progressed and grew in their faith and ministry.



Peace,
Diana

[Deborah-Leigh]

I think I know what you mean Bambam and YES absolutely I have wanted to know it all immediately. Then the though came to me...I know everything. All you have to know is ME. Then I realised that I could relax from wanting to know EVERYTHING to learning to know SOMEONE and that is Christ.

Also I experienced that the more of everything I knew the less of everything I understood! I started to experience my ignorance and ineptitude which made it more important to rest in the knowledge that Christ actually knows EVERYTHING and EVERYONE! This did not mean that I wanted to relax from knowing but that my focus and direction shifted and changed from knowing "things" for the benefit of show and tell, and rather getting to know Him for the benefit of intimacy with the KING. Big difference.

Now what is happening is that HE is starting to show me that my thoughts and feelings are being lived in front of HIM. So there is lots of work and clean up still going on! That's the wonderful part ...! ....HE IS WONDERFUL! COUNSELLOR.... MARVELOUS ALMIGHTY GOD! ...

Peace be to you

Arcturus

[jackson]

I remember when I started going back to church as an adult.  I was very intimidated by my lack of "book" knowledge.  There were only a hand full of verses I could quote from, and even then I really didn't know what they were saying.  Meanwhile, surrounding me were all these elders and deacons and all other types of "spiritually" endowed (at least thats what I thought at the time) people of the church.

I committed myself to memorizing scripture and doctrine until I could parrot those words along with the rest of my "brothers" in the church.  I don't mind telling ya that I made myself into quite the asset to the chuch.  Yes sir!  Soon I was teaching the adult sunday school class and serving as the worship leaded for the early Sunday service.  What an accomplishment for such a young man! 

I was so proud of myself.  After all I knew just about all there was to know about God.  I wouldn't have told you that of course; gotta at least look humble...right?  But I mean to tell ya, I was fealling pretty good about myself; I was finally on par with the rest of the Big Dawgs of the church.  Get this, at times I even felt sorry for those whos knowledge of God was less than my own.

Mind you, I was never outwardly cocky; but on the inside I was full of it (pride that is).

There came a point, however, when God began to open my eyes.  I would look a bible verse and the truth of it would smack me in the face...and I remember thinking..."I've read this verse a thousand times, why have I never understood this before?"  I mean I use to think I understood it but I really had no clue.  The more I read and studied the more it became apparent to me that I didn't have the faintest idea what this book was really about.

As I started teaching the truths as my Father revealed them to me, the sunday school class attendance began to drop (almost to 0 before I left).  I know this probably doesn't suprise you, but it did me at the time.  Maybe I was wrong, ya no; all of asudden no body wants to here what I have to say.  But my Father reassured me of His truths and began to reveal even more to me.  This blew me away and truely humbled for the first time!  As I know now that I know nothing I am resolute in the truth.

As I searched for more truth I found Ray's teachings and then this place.  And I must say that this forum keeps me humble.  It seems I learn something every time I'm here.  Thank you all!

In His Grace,
Jackson

[bambam]

Jackson said'
             Mind you, I was never outwardly cocky; but on the inside I was full of it (pride that is).

There came a point, however, when God began to open my eyes.  I would look a bible verse and the truth of it would smack me in the face...and I remember thinking..."I've read this verse a thousand times, why have I never understood this before?"  I mean I use to think I understood it but I really had no clue.  The more I read and studied the more it became apparent to me that I didn't have the faintest idea what this book was really about.

Wow.  I am going through the exact same thing.  I read verses-like the ones in Ephesians that I posted in the beginning of this thread-and I see things I never saw before.  I understand things I never understood before.  And I thought I was pretty well versed in Bible knowledge and I thought-what else is there to learn.  It's crazy-I was so full of pride and arrogance-still can be at times.  Funny thing is-no one would ever know it because it wasn't an outward thing-it was in my heart.  Now, standing in the awesomeness of God and finding out who He really is and what He is really about has humbled me more than anything that has ever happened in my entire life.   Thank you for your post! 

This thread has been so helpful to me.  I was very frustrated about not being able to read constantly.  I mean, I have four kids, and I homeschool-there isn't alot of time on my hands-but I am loving to study and learn.  I just have to put it all in perspective I guess.  I will not know it all now-I realize that!  But I am so thankful for what I AM learning a bit at a time!

Darren said,
            Yes, seeking with the heart is WAY different than seeking with the mind.

So, are we to follow our hearts?  My heart does feel differently sometimes than my mind.  You know, like when something just doesn't feel right.  Or is there a balance between logic and heart?  Maybe this is where discernment come is I guess-and it all comes from God. 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

Beth

 

[jackson]

Hey Beth,

I'm so glad you found something in my rambling that made sense.  I wasn't sure how it came across.

As far as the things you are learning, OMG you are homeschooling 4 kids (did I hear that right?).  I guarentee God is giving you more understanding, knowledge, patience, etc.......throught that than you even realize right now.  That is the way He works ya know, most of our education happens without our awareness of it.

Continue to pray for a descerning heart, for truth, for understanding and He will answer you.  And yes, I do believe we are to follow the descernments of our heart because that is where God plants the seeds of true knowledge and wisdom.

In His Grace,
Jackson

[mari_et_pere]

Beth, homeschooling 4 kids YIKES!  Be proud of that!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know what you mean about constantly reading! Somedays my kids trash the house behind me while I sit here reading and studying. I turn from my desk and 

BUT I have to 

and keep my 

because I know it's all my fault!  :-

On that note I really really should go clean! 

Matt