Secrets

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. ~ Proverbs 25:2

Before His death on the cross, Jesus told His disciples that He would be going to be with the Father, but they shouldn't fret because when He left, He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them. We talk about the Holy Spirit now, and we have some kind of understanding of who He is. The disciples, however, had no idea and the thought of Jesus--their teacher--leaving them was horrifying. I'm sure they thought to themselves, "How will we know what we need to know? What is this ghost, this spirit that He says He will send to us?" But to ease and comfort their minds, Jesus said, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears...He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you," (John 16:13-15). The disciples had gotten used to Jesus telling parables--stories, hidden things--to any who would listen, but then reveal the truth, the secret things, to His disciples when they were alone. Jesus was trying to convey to His disciples that they would still get the same teachings in the truth, the only difference would be that Jesus would not physically be there to speak into their ears, but that the Holy Spirit would speak straight into their hearts.

The Bible tells us, "The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to him," (Psalms 25:14). The Lord shares His secrets with those who "fear" him, who trust him, who spend time with him, who are in awe of him. Today, if you've invited Him into your heart, Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, to speak to us, to share secret and hidden things with us. These things aren't broadcast to everyone, but they are only for us, for those who seek Him out.

It was only when Jesus was alone with His disciples that He would reveal the truth, the secret things. The same is true for us now. It is when we are alone with God, in our secret place--perhaps in the spare bedroom, the couch, a closet--that He will speak to us. He speaks intimately and lovingly to us. He teaches us. He shares things--secret things--with us. If you're spending this time, write down what He reveals to you, so you can reflect on it later. If you are not spending this quality, alone time with your Savior, just think of what you're missing. It's never too late to start. Just think about all the hidden mysteries He will reveal to you.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. ~ Jeremiah 33:3