Sense of Security: Based on Trust or Certainty?

Following up on the idea I presented last week about the human brain being designed for trust rather than for absolute certainty (http://nitasbookclub.blogspot.com/2013/03/boxing-god-in-until-he-disappears.html), I want to share from one of last year's posts in which I quoted George MacDonald (the man C.S.Lewis gave credit for most influencing him):

"To know God is to be in the secret place of all knowledge; and to trust him changes the whole outlook surrounding mystery and seeming contradictions and unanswered questions from one of doubt or fear or bewilderment to one of hope. The unknown may be some lovely truth in store for us, which we are not yet ready to apprehend. Not to be intellectually certain of a truth does not prevent the heart that loves and obeys that truth from getting the goodness out of it, from drawing life from it because it is loved, not because it is understood."  (from MacDonald's book, "The Lady's Confession")

"Doubts are the messengers of the Living One to rouse the honest heart. They are the first knock at our door of things that are not yet, but have to be, understood...Doubts must precede every deeper assurance. For uncertainties are what we first see when we look into a region hitherto unknown, unexplored, unannexed."   (from the book, "Discovering the Character of God")

A loved child is curious, full of honest questions and has no fear of punishment from the parent; as a consequence he/she grows in understanding. As followers of Jesus, many of us (particularly in the evangelical/charismatic tradition) have been trained by our "christian culture" that we should be absolutely certain about many different doctrines, and in our adherence to doctrinal certainty, we lose childlike curiosity and cease to grow in dynamic understanding of God. We cling to certainty for our sense of security, rather than to trust in the Person of God in Christ Jesus.

There are many "regions hitherto unknown, unexplored, unannexed" that we can venture into without fear when hand in hand with our Father. May the Spirit of Jesus reveal the love of the Father to us in such a way that we dare to trust Him and never stop asking questions and never stop growing!