Of Him, Through Him, and To Him
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?
Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)
This is Paul’s triumphant conclusion to the consideration of Israel in the place of God’s eternal plan. As Paul thought about God’s great plan of the ages, he broke into praise. Paul realized that God’s ways are past finding out, and God’s wisdom and knowledge are beyond us.
Only God has this depth of the riches. The wisdom and knowledge of God are beyond us, and we should always speak humbly of our knowledge of His counsels and decrees. The quotations from Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11 emphasize God’s wisdom and sovereign conduct; no one can put God in debt to them. You can try all you want – but you can’t out–give God. He will never need to repay a debt to anyone.
Though we can’t go to the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge, we rest in knowing that He has all things under His care. It is stated with such simple words, we can miss the power of the truth that of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
God’s great plan is all of Him. This plan came from God. It wasn’t man’s idea. We didn’t say, “I’ve offended God and must find a way back to Him. Let’s work on a plan to come back to God.” In our spiritual apathy and death, we didn’t care about a plan, and even if we did care we aren’t smart enough or wise enough to make one. It is all of Him.
God’s great plan is all through Him. Even if we had the plan, we couldn’t make it happen. We couldn’t free ourselves from our own prison of sin and self. It could only happen through Him. The great work of Jesus on our behalf is the through Him that brings salvation.
God’s great plan is all to Him. Ultimately, it’s not for me, it’s not for you, it’s all to Him. It is all to the praise of the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6). It’s for His pleasure that we are created, and we find our fulfillment in bringing Him glory and honor.
At the end of it all, we can only say this of God: To whom be glory forever. The fact that we can’t figure out God makes us glorify Him even more. When we understand some of the greatness of God, we worship Him even more passionately.
If you’re caught in the quicksand of a self-centered life, joyfully receive the liberating truth: all things are of Him, through Him, and to Him.
