 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2009-08-01 12:16:00
Does God think?
Question: In Mark 8:33, our Lord rebuked Peter because he was thinking as a man and not as God thinks. I was reading this chapter this morning and for the first time I wondered, “Does God think? After all, He is all-knowing, all-logical, all-understanding…all-everything. I guess I have always thought, “God does.” Am I wrong?
Answer: I think the questioner is asking the philosophical question on the premise that an all knowing and all understanding perspective means that God does not have to think but just react. On the contrary, God’s thoughts are way beyond all that we could ever muster with all the brightest people and computers in the world.
First, think of the complexity of the human mind in all of its intricate thoughts, processes and patterns, its layers of conscious and unconscious thoughts. Yet the Psalmist says, “He knows our words we are going to say before we formulate them on our tongues.” (Psalm 139:3) The mind has its protection mechanisms that hide the painful events of our lives and yet He knows those pains. In fact, when we are going through those pains and difficulties which are so hurtful that the only thing we can do is groan, He intercedes for us. His Holy Spirit puts those hurts into words and He communicates them to the heart of God (Romans 8:27-28). This comes because God is not just an inanimate force or power, He is an intimate relational God who thinks and knows our situations and tailor makes them grow us in the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29)
It is marvelous how He fashioned us. We are unlike any other creature because we reflect the image of God as thinking human beings. We have emotions, personalities (Psalm 139:13-15), wills to make our own decisions and a spiritual component within that allows us to have deeper relationships, and especially with God, that no other created being has with God. It gives us the ability to make the unbelievable advancements that we have made in science, technology and life that no other creatures on earth have done. (Genesis 1:24-31; 2:7) In fact, does it not amaze you that we have only tapped about 10 percent of our mind’s potential and yet we have accomplished a lot by reflecting the image of God as thinking human beings?
I get fascinated and blown away when I stand on Broadway in NYC and see the sidewalks and streets filled with this mass of humanity that is moving at rush hour and think He knows every person intimately, personally and intricately. So intricately, that He even knows every hair on our heads (Luke 21:18). If Jesus were to speak in the language of today he would probably change the metaphor from hair to molecule or cell of our body. Is that not a comfort He knows us that closely?
Beyond that, He knows all the circumstances and situations that every person is going through in the world. He is directing and working in all those situations, beyond the scenes and the comfort for the believer, He does so “for our good” and so that we can be the best we can be by being conformed to the image of Christ.(Romans 8:28-29) Sometimes we don’t understand all that takes place in our lives and the lives of those around us, but Isaiah penned God’s words to bring understanding to a confused people having just gone through a difficult time in her country’s history, “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
When you think of all that is in outer space and beyond that all kinds of telescopes, huge computers and processors are trying to get a glimmer by working around the clock and still they haven’t touched His infinite wisdom that has created galaxies far beyond. (Psalm 19:1) Or even the intricacies of the human body with the miles of veins and arteries. All this takes thinking. In fact all that we do in science said Kepler is “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” Because God had it all well thought out and perfectly planned. Take for instance, His providing in bacteria the substance of what we call penicillin that is the mother of antibiotics. Take the man named Alexander Flemming, who, not accidentally but God would providentially, orchestrate its discovery. Yes, God does think and along with the Psalmist we can say, “How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, You are still with me!” (Psalm 139:17-18).
Overwhelmed with God’s awesome thinking and yet very much at peace and filled with comfort to know that He has it all thought out and planned for my life and yours, go and enjoy life. Pastor Dave.
