We Complicate Everything; God Keeps It Simple

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and God saw that it was good. Then He created us, and soon after, we complicated everything. That . . . was not good. 

We humans tend to complicate things because we’re complicated. Think about it: when we first meet someone, we have no idea what blend of humanness we’ll find. Is she high strung and emotional or relaxed, even in a tornado? Is he patient and forgiving or does he fire off at the slightest offense? Does she tend to see the glass half full or groan that her glass isn’t big enough, the right color, or that someone left it sitting on the counter rather than washing, drying, and putting it away? 

Humans can be complicated and exhausting. (Can I get an amen—followed by a sigh?)

If humans are complicated, what does that mean about our infinite God? Scripture reveals He’s a God of both wrath and of grace, of judgment and of mercy, and a zillion other pairings. He’s also three persons in one Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How’s that for complicated?

I recently pondered these truths while enjoying a writing retreat with a friend in Seattle, thousands of miles from our homes. As I gazed over Puget Sound with the Cascade Mountains towering in the background, I lamented my inability to communicate God’s immense glory in terms we humans can truly grasp. The fact that I’m still trying to fully understand God made my task all the more complicated. 

Then, over a cup of coffee, simple clarity came. Great comfort, too—comfort every Christian can enjoy. 

Simple Clarity 

My friend and I were exchanging stories of God’s overwhelming grace and kindness during the sorrowful days we’d each experienced as family members had battled illness and passed away.

We marveled over how much our sovereign God had prepared us for what was to come. We praised Him for how faithfully He’d walked with us through our pain. 

That’s when I realized I’d spent a week taxing my brain to comprehend and explain the complexities of God, only to over-complicate Him and miss the beautiful simplicity of who He is. 

Through our stories, God reminded me that the simplest truths about Him—truths our minds are able to grasp in our deepest pain—are sufficient to anchor our souls in His unshakable peace. 

This is the God we serve and worship—One who is in every detail, in every life, in every moment, all around the world. It’s that simple.

Today, let’s consider three simple truths that produced within me an ocean of peace and comfort—and clarity. 

Simple Truth #1: God Is the Great I Am 

“I AM. . . . This is my name forever.” (Exodus 3:14–15)

God is the Great I Am—everything we’ll ever need for every moment. 

In the original Hebrew, His name is the verb form for to be. In other words, God is the verb is. 

God is. He’s not becoming. 

We’re still growing, improving, and maturing—while other parts of us are declining. But God is. He has always been, and He will always be because He is.

God can never decay, change, or improve—even over eons. He’s ageless and changeless (Psalm 102:27; James 1:17). He is. 

God is spirit, not flesh. He’s not confined by space, time, or matter. He’s eternally, infinitely, and perfectly present in every moment (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 1:8). He never grows weary or nods off. He’s always alert with His eye on us (Psalm 121:4, Isa. 40:28). He is.

God is the Great I Am. 

Simple Truth #2: God Is One

“Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

God is three in person (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but one in essence (God). He’s not three separate Gods with different personalities, nor is He one God who operates either as the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit. He’s not a Which-One-Are-We-Getting-Today God. He is forever the same. He is one.

Further, God is not a compilation of pieces and parts that work together as one, like a supercomputer. He is one. God’s attributes aren’t sewn onto Him, like Peter Pan’s shadow. They aren’t external additions to who He is. God’s attributes are Him, and He is His attributes.

Also, God’s infinite and eternal power is forever one with His love, wisdom, grace, and all His other traits. None of His glorious qualities can ever outweigh the others. He is one. 

And finally, God is supremely dependable because He is eternally unchangeable. Every facet of our perfect God is inseparable, infinite, and eternal. He is one. 

Simple Truth #3: God Is with Us Always

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised, “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). And He’s not with us as a disinterested bystander or an ever-watching but fearsome warden. He’s with us to lead us, comfort us, and provide for us. He is with us always.

We never have to look anywhere else for our strength, comfort, or peace. The omnipresent and omniscient Great I Am, who works in unchangeable power, mercy, and love is always with us.

Our loved ones can offer us much, but even at their finest, they are not God, and they cannot be everywhere. 

When raging trials and deep sorrows threaten to drown us, the presence of those we love can’t guarantee we will not be overwhelmed. When we walk through the fires of adversity, our loved ones’ presence can’t assure we won’t be destroyed. But as God promised to Israel, Christ promises to us who have believed in Him: “I will be with you.”

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you,
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you. (Isaiah 43:2)

Three Simple Truths. Continuous Comfort.

God is the Great I am. He is one. And He is with us always. 

These three simple truths comforted me on my writing retreat when I was far from my home, my family, and my routine. I was plunged into the midst of an unfamiliar place for ten days—just me, my friend, and the French bulldog we were dog sitting. Life was vastly different, but God is forever the same.

No matter where I am or what I’m doing, God is here with me. He’s there with you too, and He is all around the globe. God is everywhere at all times, sovereignly orchestrating all the events of our world and all the cares of those we love. (And our cares too.) He’s everything we’ll ever need for every moment. 

He is the Great I am. He is one. And He is with us always.

Knowing these simple truths about God doesn’t mean we’ll never feel disappointment—especially when we pray for something and don’t get it. But know this: God is never the source of our disappointment. Our humanness is. We lack God’s perfect wisdom and knowledge to understand that what we’re asking for isn’t what’s ultimately best for us and those we love. At least not at this time. 

Our eternal God’s perfect timing and ways are always right. He’s never in a hurry or in a quandary. And He is with us. It’s that simple. 

God is the Great I am. 

He is one. 

And He is with us always.

Seek the Deep Truths of God but Keep It Simple

I’ll continue to study the deep truths of God until I see His face because I long to know Him more deeply and trust Him more fully. I also pray that I’ll guard myself against overcomplicating Him again. But if I do—because we humans love to complicate things—I praise God that He keeps it simple.