All-Knowing God … (January 2022 Update)
If there is one attribute of God that I often wish I had it would be omniscience. My limited knowledge affects almost everything I do – especially my planning for the future. I have gotten pretty good at planning and anticipating what will happen. But I must admit that I am wrong far more often than I am right. What I often think will happen does not. And what I greatly desire to not happen, frequently does.
Right now, we are faced with some monumental decisions as Russia seems poised to invade Ukraine (more on that below). Since Putin has annually made it look like he is planning an open attack on Ukraine but never followed through, it is hard to know if his latest threat is simply another attempt to gain some negotiating leverage, or if he is really planning to invade this time. If would be great to be able to know the future as we face major, life-affecting decisions in the coming days. To be all-knowing like God would be a tremendous advantage!
But not knowing is actually better for us, even though I would still opt for at least a little personal (or at least occasional) omniscience! Not knowing requires faith in an all-knowing God. Knowing everything does not require any faith. Because faith is depending on God without knowing what He is planning. Faith is trusting God when we cannot see ahead and trusting that God will indeed “work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). However, this does not mean we will have a carefree or trouble-free life. Indeed, the rest of the chapter makes this abundantly clear.
In fact, the whole context of Romans 8 is really about trusting God in suffering. The section begins in verse 18 where Paul tells us that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Then he points us to the suffering/groaning of all of creation awaiting the final redemption. In verse 24, he reminds us “But hope that is seen is no hope at all.” I prefer to “see” ahead. But God prefers that we learn to trust Him when we cannot see what He alone can see. Which leads us to prayer. Often in times of crisis, we do not even know what to prayer for or how to pray. In Romans 8:26-27, Paul reminds us that, in our weakness, the Spirit comes alongside us and helps us. In fact, He “intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” I don’t know what God’s will is for each situation. But the Spirit of God does (1 Corinthians 2:11-12)! And He prays for us in agreement with God’s perfect will.
What can we learn from this? First, what God has in store for us is better than whatever sufferings we may experience. That is hard to remember in tough times. But even if we perish, we need to know that what we have in eternity far outweighs everything we might need to give up here on earth. Second, faith is trusting without seeing. Real hope comes from putting that trust in a God who knows all and who never makes a mistake. Third, we never struggle alone. The Holy Spirit comes alongside us and prays through us in a way that is in accordance with the will of God. Finally, God is at work. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things (good and bad) together for good. While we hope for God to change the heart of evil men and prevent their evil actions, we can know that God not only knows what is best, but He is also working (actively) in every situation for our ultimate good! That is an encouraging truth in the face of any discouragement.
We do not know the future. We are not promised a pain-free life. Paul reminded the Romans “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” God does not promise a “rose-garden” lifestyle for His children. We are promised His presence and His unending love – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I would love to be omniscient! I’m sure you have often felt the same. But my struggle is to be more trusting. I love what Charles Spurgeon once said about this topic: “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when I cannot trace the hand of God, I will trust the heart of God.” That’s my prayer – that I will trust the heart of God!
Teaching Ministry …
December was another busy month. Most of the time was spent grading papers. I was able to get the grades for three classes completely finished and submitted just before Christmas. I have just a few more papers to complete for my Church History class that I hope to finish before the New Year.
I’m also working on putting together my February class on Bibliology and Theology (the Attributes of God). Right now, we are working on having everything re-translated into Ukrainian. I’ve been teaching this class in Russian but now Kyiv Theological Seminary has decided to have all classes in Ukrainian. So, we are working on these translations. This is a lot of work and will also cost a lot for translations (probably $400-600). Be praying as we put this class together for the students. We need to finish this month so we can get everything posted by the middle of January. Also, we are preparing this class to be online in case we have more quarantine restrictions (and perhaps in case of an invasion). Please pray for these preparations.
Family Times …
In spite of all the work on classes, we were able to have some time together with Katya’s family for Christmas. This was the most hectic Christmas season that I can remember but it is always great to spend some time with family.
Health Update …
My health continues to improve but it is still not back to normal. Additionally, I did a 5-day halter test (heart) and they discovered that I have a pre-mature heartbeat. Right now, they said it should not pose a major problem, but I might need a pacemaker in the future.
Our biggest concern is Nadia’s health. She continues to have episodes where her temperature spikes. She might have some kidney problems. We are going to the doctor again this week trying to figure out what else we can do. Pray for her health.
Pray for Ukraine …
Every month for the last 8+ years, we have been asking you to pray for Ukraine. Ukraine’s biggest problem right now is an impending invasion by Russia. While Russia has made build-ups of forces that raised concerns about an invasion over the last 8 years, this time the threat is much, much greater. In the past, Putin has denied that Russia was doing anything against Ukraine while all the satellite evidence showed the opposite. Now he is openly stating that Russia must invade Ukraine to protect Russia from the constant encroachments of NATO. And he has sent nearly 175,000 troops to the borders of Ukraine – more than all the US forces during the D-Day invasion in 1944. This is a serious build up!
Both missionaries and Ukrainians here are all making plans for evacuations in case of an invasion. One missionary Christmas letter noted that they were wrapping presents and packing suitcases at the same time! We too are deeply concerned. We are struggling with what to do. This might be just another bluff by Putin, but the cost of staying is too great. We live less than 1 km from a major military air base. If there is an invasion, Russia will need to take out this base first. Even our Ukrainian neighbors are leaving for other countries or moving west to avoid what seems to be a certain invasion.
We have been exploring other options, but it seems that the best option is to return to the states for a few months. It will be expensive since we were in the states just last summer. But, again, the cost of staying is greater. We are also trying to make preparations for our house while we are gone. If there is an invasion, we will probably lose everything, house, cars and other possessions. But those are small compared to our family’s safety. We are currently trying to get tickets to the states. This has been made more difficult by the holidays and by the Covid layoffs. And the prices are much more – We are looking at around $8,000 total right now but looking for something cheaper too. Pray we can get some tickets and be able to return home in the next few weeks. Also pray for us to have wisdom as we try to sort through what is essential to take with us and what can be left behind.
Thank you for your prayers. If we make it back, we might see some of you while we are in the states. But we really don’t know any of our plans at this point. This is another time when I wish I was omniscient. But I really need to just be faithful and trust the Lord with all the details that we need to put together in the coming weeks.
By His Grace,
Jim, Katya, Kristina and Nadia
If you missed previous updates or just want to read some short theological reflections, you can find these at our website at https://teachingresources.org/ .
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