Dear Silvereye,
I donot know what you mean by "traditional simplistic definition of God" but I want to say sth about your question(s). When we look at the universe, we see a very well balanced and comprehensive system which mankind couldnot even decoded a small percent of the data in the creation or the universe.If we want proof, we donot have to look so far.It is enough for you to contemplate about your nervous system only, especially the brain. The brain has a very very complex system even human beings (the most clever creature in the world) cannot even understand comprehensively. And we human beings have a limited "machine" whose perceptions and comprehension is very limited with the universe (the material obstacles like hearing treshold, lack of data).And we cannot see the beings comprehensively.And this disables us from perceiving the Creator with all his qualities.But we can use the scientific method (we can understand some of His qualities.)
The real point about your question is that the world is a place of examination and people are the student (the subject, the adressee) in this world...I would like to explain that in a philosophical way, but unfortunately, I am not so qualified enough in English. But you can find good explanation and satisfying proofs about your question in "the Eleventh Word" from the collection "the Words" (which is available on the internet) by Said Nursi by reading critically.And you can find perfect (I think) information in
Islam Answering | www.islamanswering.com.
thank you for reading the message