God's Wisdom

My devotional today led me to 1 Cor. 1:18-31, which contrasts the wisdom of the world and of God. Actually, the world often considers God's wisdom to be foolishness, but for us who believe there is power in the "foolishness" of the cross. What struck me most from this passage wasn't really what the devotional was talking about (which was also good, though), but just about the way God chose to save his children. "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:22-24). The message of Christ is so simple in some ways, but, in part due to its simplicity, it is also very hard for people to accept sometimes. "All I have to do to be saved is just believe?" Yep, pretty much!

But if the gospel is such a stumbling block, why would God choose this method? Wouldn't a message of works rather than grace be easier to swallow? That's how we might have packaged salvation if we were in charge. But "'my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:8-9). Ah, yes... And since we can never earn salvation in our imperfection, God found a better way: "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus . . ." (1 Cor. 28-30, italics added). Just when I start to feel superior somehow for recognizing the wisdom of God rather than stumbling over it, he reminds me that I'm only his because he chose me to believe (Eph. 1:4-6). (Which is a whole other discussion...) But suffice it to say that today, I'm just thanking my God for his incomprehensible grace and his infinite wisdom.