“Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7 NASB).
The questions Job poses in this passage are rhetorical, of course… so the answer is a resounding “No!”
But in our pursuit to know God and understand more about His nature, His character, and His attributes we can explore the depths of who He is. We can expand our understanding of Him by contemplating what He has told us about Himself in His Word.
Just to be clear – no one can understand God perfectly. Only God understands Himself in a perfect manner because He is comprehensively infinite – in every way without measure, bounds, restrictions, or limits – and we are finite creatures. Being finite in nature, our knowledge of One who is infinite must, by default, be limited.
To better grasp any concept that is foreign to us we must define it in terms we already understand, which is why we consider God’s infinite nature in terms we can relate to. Here are just a few:
- God is infinite in terms of place – He is everywhere present, existing beyond all spatial limitations. “’Can any hide himself in secret places, and I shall not see him,’ saith the Lord? ‘Do not I fill both heaven and earth?’” (Jer. 23:24). And I Kings 8:27 further explains that neither the earth, nor the heavens, nor the heaven of heavens can contain Him.
- God is infinite in terms of time – He is eternal, existing outside all definitions of time, having no beginning or end. “Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory, forever and ever,” (I Tim. 1:17).
- God is infinite in His perfection – His being is perfect, and consequently, all His ways are perfect. “His work is perfect… a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He,” (Deut. 32:4). Charles Hodge said, “God is infinite in being because no limit can be assigned to His perfections.”
- God is infinite in respect to all His attributes. Again, in every way, He is comprehensively infinite, singularly and infinitely perfect.
In contrast, we are limited in every way – at some point we reach our limits of patience, strength, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, grace, love, life, ability, etc. As fallen creatures living in a fallen world, bound by the limitations of time and space, as well as by the chains of sin, the only way we can even catch a glimpse of God’s infinite nature is through the eyes of faith.
Yet the chief end of man is to glorify God for who He is. Before we can glorify Him for who He is, however, we must first grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him.
For this reason, I urge you to present yourself with this challenge: make it a practice to begin your quiet time by adoring God simply and singularly for who He is. Spend time contemplating His infinite nature, His infinite perfection. Ask His Spirit to expand your understanding of your infinite God, that you may better know Him and, in turn, glorify Him.
- Lord, I am humbled as I consider all Your divine mysteries. Though I believe Your Word implicitly, when I think about such truths as the Trinity and the union of both perfect God and perfect man in Christ, for instance, I quickly find myself overwhelmed. You, mighty Lord, are great and high above all. I adore You for who You are and that Your greatness is completely unsearchable!
- Your greatness is demonstrated in every facet of You – Your essence, presence, duration, wisdom, strength and power, grace and mercy (Ps. 147:5)! Help me see this more clearly day by day as I walk in the light of Your greatness that I may be found praising You commensurate with that greatness.
- Lord, You reign supreme over all other powers, whether earthly, such as kings and magistrates, or heavenly. You are above ALL! (2 Chron. 2:5; Ps. 135:5).
- Lord, continually remind me of Your greatness in my heart (Ps. 103:1; Luke 1:46). Bring to my remembrance the great things that You do, indeed the greatest things, for You alone are infinitely greater than all my thoughts (Eph. 3:20).
- Help me, Lord to esteem Your presence, favor, promises, worship… every aspect of You in such a way that I approach You with an insatiable desire (Ps. 84:1-2). Let Your greatness be in my mouth, that with a great voice, in the presence of others, I celebrate Your infinite greatness (Ps. 103:8) and call others to celebrate You together (Ps. 103:20-22). Help me do all this with a profound reverence for Your infinite deity, and with reverential fear of offending You, even in the least things, because You are the greatest King.
Further References for Job 11:7
Eccl. 3:11; Rom. 11:33; Job 5:9, 37:23; Ps. 145:3; Isa. 40:28
