on Being a Little Brother

There’s this memory that is coming to mind as I write out Isaiah.

I was the very youngest of 4 boys, but we had a boarder staying with us, who has a little boy who was younger than me. At supper time he was misbehaving… my father dropped his fork onto his plate (fear gripped all but one of us) then the dreaded pointing of the finger (if you were there to see it, you’d see my Dad’s steely eyes fixed on the little man, food crumbs sticking out of Dad’s tightly clenched lips) and this little guy imitated Dad exactly… I just remember shuddering in fear for the little fellow.

I for one don’t look towards the things that are happening in the world and then turn and shake my fist at God. My lack of understanding about what is going on doesn’t lead me to demand God answer to me as his judge.

Doxology

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”

For from him and through him and for him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen

Romans 11:33-36 NIV

Desiring to understand is a different story. That is more in the realm of emotion. We seek to understand in order to cope with the fear of “what comes next” so where there is uncertainty, we have trust in God, the shift is from our own understanding to belief and trust.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

As for worrying about that little bro…

After all, who are you to criticise the servant of somebody else, especially when that somebody else is God? It is to his own master that he gives, or fails to give, satisfactory service. And don’t doubt that satisfaction, for God is well able to transform men into servants who are satisfactory.

Romans 14:4 J B Phillips

I’m sorry, Nicholas.