Secret Things

We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:7

About a year and a half ago, I picked up a book that challenged me to read the Bible cover to cover in a year. So, now it's been a year and about 4 months and I've made it to 1 Corinthians, but I'm OK with that. The Women's Ministry Leader in our church once said that she tried to read the Bible in a year, but God allowed her to understand that it was for His glory and His predestined reason that she would not reach her goal, but that it would take her longer. He wanted her to really study certain scriptures and not just read them and move on to make her goal. I'm not sure if that's God's reasoning for why it's taken me so long, but nevertheless, here I am reading about the secret things of God and there is an area in my life where I need His light to shine.

I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for me. I also believe that He's revealed bits and pieces of His plan to me. However, I'm a firm believer that God doesn't reveal everything to us before we even begin the journey, or even while we are in the midst of it. I think He does that--keeps certain things hidden--for two reasons: 1) He wants us to act on faith without having the answers and 2) If we know what might happen to us or what we will have to endure, we might not follow where God wants to lead us.

The Bible tells us "faith without works is dead," (James 2:20). It is not enough to believe God, for "even the demons believe--and tremble!" (James 2:19). You must put your money where your mouth is, so-to-speak. If you are out of work, simply sitting on your couch, believing that God will provide for you is not the same as believing that He will open the right door for you as you actively go out and look for work. There must be some kind of action behind our words or our beliefs or what credit is it to God? If you have been saved and set free by God and yet you continue to act in all the same ways as you did before, then who will ever know what God did for you and how is that faith? The Bible says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed..." (Romans 12:2). We must be "do-ers" of God's Word and not believers-only.

Now, while we are walking by faith, I believe that God will reveal the next step that we need to take, but may not reveal the next five steps. Or, He may reveal step 10, just to encourage us to keep going, but He won't reveal steps 2-9. I really think God does this to both encourage us, but also to protect us. Our human minds are fragile and if we know that we might encounter pain beforehand, we may never take the next step, even if we know that in the end, it will all be worth it. It's like grandparents, before a young couple is about to be married, telling of their hardships. The elder couple can describe it, but the young couple will have to endure their own hardships to truly appreciate, in the end, what a wonderful marriage they have. Third Day's song, "Mountain of God," says, "After all that I've been through / Now I realize the truth / That I must go through the valley / To stand upon the mountain of God," (Wherever You Are, 2005). It says after. it's only after we've endured the pain, can we appreciate the reason and the blessing. It's hard to appreciate it beforehand and it's especially hard to appreciate it during. But after we've gone through, how much sweeter is step 10 than step 1?

At the beginning of this blog, I said that there was an area of my life that I needed revealed to me. It's an area that I'm really unsure about and I need God to shine His light on it to reveal to me if this is in His Will for my life. I'm going to pray for me; I hope you will pray for you.

Lord, I don't know what I desire, or if I even desire it. But the one thing I do is desire Your will and Your way for my life. Show me what that is. Reveal to me that part of it. Lord, you have a secret wisdom. Let there be light on this area, that I may know your desires for my life, and act in faith, accordingly. Lord, you know this whole topic--this area--scares me, but I also know that if I don't ask you, then I may be missing out on my "step 10" and I don't want to stop at "step 3" because I was afraid of something I couldn't see. Please reveal to me your desire, so that I know which way to turn. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.