The Riddles of God: A Devotional by Andrew Greer

The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. –– G.K. Chesterton 

Guest post by Andrew Greer.

Let me begin by clearing the air: I am not a fan of Chesterton’s writings. Often dubbed the “Prince of Paradox,” I have challenged myself to read and re-read his circular prose only to become exasperated over and again with his drawn-out paragraphs of purposefully spelled-out contradictions. I just have to get off the hamster wheel of heady sometimes. 

But boy, can Chesterton craft a Tweet!

In the pages cataloguing his long-winded thought processes on the probability of the Christian faith (primarily referring to his most prominent work, Orthodoxy), he spells out a thousand little moral summaries packing punches so resonant that once read, and re-read, we can’t help but follow his prompts to think, and re-think, what it is we believe about ourselves, about others, about ourselves in relationship to others, about God … about God and us.

“The riddles of God …” often make me think of the parables, or perhaps, riddles of Jesus. The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). Dedicating ourselves to spiritual healthiness. The Speck and the Log (Matthew 7:1-5). Extending grace and mercy to ourselves and others. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Uplifting the humble, the depressed, those who seek peaceful solutions to human conflict. More than a call to“fix” everything, the example of Jesus’ life and love urges us to a deeper calling—he less complicated but more difficult engagement of simply being present. Of simply being—with ourselves, with others, with God. 

We want to go to God for answers, but sometimes what we get is God’s presence. –– Nadia Bolz-Weber

Perhaps the greatest riddle of God is not that he is beyond our understanding. It’s not some divine trick or omniscient outsmarting of his finite creation. The greatest riddle of God is the greatest gift of God. That what we want—a solution—is not what we most need or what he most offers. But that what he freely gives—him—is what we get, and what we need.

So this week as you worship, seek not for the right song or the right hook but simply for God Himself.

Listen to Andrew Greer's interview on the Worship Artistry Podcast.