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By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. (Prov 3:19-20)           

       Do you know the joy of art? Do you know that one of the frustrations of art is that it requires that we make decisions and think? If the color with which you choose to paint the flower is the same color as the background, the flower will be invisible unless you use shadows and highlights to separate it from what's behind it. Creativity involves logic and every decision made effects all the rest.
            We've been taught that God can "do anything." Some reductionists make this the sole characteristic of God, so that God could make man completely free, yet prevent man from doing anything that would have a negative outcome. It's sort of like saying that God could make the world out of vegetable oil and God could make the world out of steel. [1]  Either one might be true, but doing one means He couldn't do the other.
         As much as we might laugh at my ridiculous example, or at those who hold such a reductionist perspective, I suspect that we all have a tendency to do this. When we read "And God said, 'Let there be light'," do we consider that God had planned it before doing it? Today's verses tell us that God created the universe with wisdom, understanding and knowledge. He knew that making it the way He made it meant that He couldn't also make it the way He didn't.
        While we may not find it difficult to accept that, how often do we fail to realize that He approached us the same way? He could have made you to be other than you are, but then you would not be you. How often do we think that He who created the universe with great wisdom, understanding and knowledge didn't apply the same level of diligence in His creation of us? How often do we think that this same wisdom, understanding and knowledge is the reason why our circumstances are not as we would prefer?  (While I was not thinking in terms of politics, is it any less true there?)
        Can we honestly pray, "God, You are right and wise in doing what You are doing. I confess that I am not happy about it, but I trust You so keep doing  what You know is best."? 

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In the Sky: New Moon
Birthday of:
Walter Camp (developer of Football)
William Ellery Channing
William Wordsworth
[1] Note: I have used the definite article: the. God could, of course, make two "universes" - one of each kind.

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