The Known Versus the Unknown and Unknowable

UV 1223/10,000 The Known versus the Unknown and Unknowable

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Ecclesiastes 11 v 5


As sentient beings, we have some areas of life that are known, some that are unknown but knowable and many areas that are unknowable. God’s judgements are beyond human understanding or discernment. Just as we cannot tell or control from which direction the wind comes and where it goes, so we cannot estimate or discover the direction of our own lives. When a child is being formed in its mother’s womb, we do not know the shape or sex or features of the child, similarly we cannot know for sure the works of God in our lives. Ours is not to reason why but to trust and believe in His promises. Whatever He promised to Abraham, Zachariah and Mary and all others chosen by Him and who believed in Him, He has done. Similarly, He will do so in our lives. The promises, precepts in the Word are in the domain of the knowable.


The ways of God are beyond finding out. It is the glory of God that He hides many secrets. The knowledge of man is growing in the area of the known and knowable. Despite the tremendous advancement of science and technology and human knowledge, there are so many things about life we cannot comprehend or predict. His works are numerous and marvellous. His works or blessings impacting or influencing or enhancing our lives are in the realm of the known and knowable. But His thoughts are deep and beyond numbering. The past and the present are in the area of the known and knowable while the future, the near as well as the distant are unknown and unknowable. Our response is to just count His blessings of the past and the present as well as the promised and known blessings of the unknown future and to rejoice again and again. God blesses our thoughts and our lives when we think of His blessings this far and give Him praise and thanksgiving. It will be a good idea to set aside a time every day just to thank and praise God for His manifold blessings in our lives.

He who observes the clouds and worries whether it will rain will not sow and he who worries which way the wind will blow will not reap. Just as unseen and unknown to the mother and to the rest of the world, a child grows and is knit together by the unseen hand of the Lord and He breathes His spirit and His image into that child, the Lord works unseen and unknown to us behind the visible signs and scenes of our lives to execute His will and plan in our lives.



Prateep V Philip