The Revealer of Mysteries
by Pastor Gene
God beckons us to Himself. He beckons us to come daily and honestly. And when we do, He shows us things that we couldn’t have previously known.
God created us. He knows us. We stand naked before Him. (Yikes!) His Word scrutinizes the thoughts and intents of our hearts with surgical precision. It’s “sharper than a two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). It discerns my thoughts. And it forces me to confront what it exposes about me.
God is the great revealer of mysteries. When Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream that none of his wise men, soothsayers, fortunetellers, and frauds could interpret, the king summoned Daniel. He asked the prophet straight out: “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked [he’s rubbing it in a bit here, right?], but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:26-28).
Did you know that about God? That He reveals mysteries? And guess who one of the most mysterious people to ever walk the face of the earth is? Yes indeedy doo, YOU!
The truth is, in many ways we’re a mystery even to ourselves. And so, the Christian life is a life of continual self-examination and self-discovery. We’re told to “test and examine our ways,” to “consider” our ways, to “examine” ourselves to see whether we are “in the faith,” and to “remember” from where we have fallen” (Lamentations 3:40; Haggai 1:5, 7; 2 Corinthians 13:5, Revelation 2:5).
Furthermore, we’re sternly warned never to approach the Lord’s Table until we’ve first examined ourselves carefully. For “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29).
Now, as we do this, as we honestly examine our hearts before God, we discover a beautiful thing: God begins to show us the mysteries that lie there. We’re walking with Jesus in the journey of the Christian life and the Holy Spirit is teaching us, guiding us, leading us into “all the truth.”
On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He promised is disciples that “when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:12).
The Spirit’s leading in our lives declares that we are truly sons of the Father! “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
When I examine myself, when I consider my ways, when I’m honest before God, He is always faithful to show me what I need to see about myself. He, the great Revealer of Mysteries, shows me who I am so He can make me who He longs for me to be.
Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
For consideration . . .
- How long has it been since the great Revealer of Mysteries has shown you something about yourself? If it’s been a while, why do you think that is?
- What has God revealed to you about yourself this week that needs to be a catalyst for change?
- Hebrews 4:13 is an intriguing verse: “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” How do you feel reading these words? Comforted? Frightened? Challenged? Does it make you want to run for a needle, a spool of thread and some fig leaves?
- Do you sense the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life? To you sense the comforting of the One whom Jesus called the Comforter? Do you regularly purpose to “be filled” with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16)? What do you think you might be missing? Have you been experiencing the Peace and joy that are yours as a birthright in God’s Kingdom? Life is so much more than the mundane realities of being tethered to the dust. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Being “filled” with the Spirit begins with honestly confessing our sins to God and restoring fellowship with Him (1 John 1:5-9). “Walking” in the Spirit means walking through our day in purity, enjoying our fellowship with Him. Peace and joy are the fruit of life lived in the Holy Spirit. If you haven’t experienced these lately, ask the Revealer of Mysteries to show you why.
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Good morning church!!! The God of the universe wants to speak to me (how awesome is that?) but do I stop and listen? Lord God forgive this sinner. And help me to examine and not just examine but make changes even when they hurt.
I do feel exposed by God at times but I think it’s a good feeling only because if I hope to change there’s no way I can unless he exposes thinks he wants to change in me. Of course I want to be more like Jesus. There’s days I can’t stand myself in the flesh. So I am eager to please him. He is NOT hard task master like my mom was growing up, so, consequently? I feel safe with my heavenly father 😊 I often have his peace and even more often, I experience His joy! As far as the catalyst goes, these group discussions in our small meetings have been very productive. I will need time to kind a mull and chew it over so I don’t want to be hasty I’m not sure what the catalyst is and what the Lord is trying to expose. It’s been a LOT to think about! It’s been an honest, ” let’s get real” type of week! Thank you Pastor for all the thought and time you put into these blogs -they are appreciated!!
God has revealed some things to me this week from the book of James. First I need to bridle my tongue, ouch that one hurts. I like to speak my mind freely and sometimes that means letting my tongue go faster than my mind. But God does not just reveal mysteries about myself that may need correction. Sometimes he shows me what I’m doing in faith that pleases Him. In my job I get asked to help people all the time, “Hey Bobby I got this speeding ticket, do you think you could hit delete on the court computer and it might disappear?” Yeah sure right? But through God’s word I have learned to not show partiality to others based on how they look or their socio-economic status. I may not do this perfectly but I try and find a way to help everyone regardless of whether or not they can help me.