I

Under God's sovereignty, all things are born, live, and perish because of His authority, and for the sake of His management. Some things come and go quietly, and man cannot see where they came from or grasp the patterns they follow, much less understand the reasons why they come and go. Though everything that happens among all things can be seen by man with his own eyes, can be heard by man with his ears, and can be personally experienced by man, he still knows nothing about the intentions and thoughts of the Creator that lie behind these happenings.

II

Because man has wandered far from the Creator and because he does not accept the fact that the Creator's authority rules over all things, he can never understand and comprehend everything that happens under the sovereignty of the Creator's authority. God's control and sovereignty exceed the bounds of human imagination, of human knowledge, and of what human science can achieve; they are beyond the abilities of created humanity. Some people say, "Since you have not witnessed God's sovereignty, how can you believe that all this is the result of His authority?" Seeing is not always believing, and neither is it always acknowledging and understanding.

III

So, where does believing come from? It can be said with certainty that believing comes from the degree and depth of people's apprehension of, and experience of, the reality and root causes of things. If you believe that God exists, but you cannot acknowledge, much less see, the fact of God's control and God's sovereignty over all things, then in your heart you will never acknowledge that God has this kind of authority and that God's authority is unique. You will never truly accept the Creator to be your Lord and your God.

from The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III