Reveal or Wait?
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ~ Isaiah 43:19
I often pray for God to reveal something:
- Truth about a situation
- Direction for something I want to do
- Truth about her situation, to someone I am mentoring.
- Himself, to someone who does not yet know God
- My sin, if I am blind to it.
Early in my walk with the Lord, He showed me how He communicates with His people. He will use whatever He will to let me know what I need to know, when (and if) I need to know it.
Sometimes I ask and He is silent. So, I search the scriptures to see what His Word says about whatever I “want” to understand. When He still remains silent, I know I have no “need” to know.
One of the gifts God reveals is the understanding of His sovereignty. Knowing God, and understanding His gracious and just character, means we should be content that if He does not give an answer, we do not need an answer. At least not as soon as we think we do. Sometimes the lack of response means, “wait for the answer.”
When my sister was sick, and dying, from pancreatic cancer I was awed at how many things God revealed to her. He sent a messenger in the form of a man she barely knew to tell her that He loved her. She felt God had revealed His love and grace for her when He woke up a friend and prompted her to go to the hospital one horrible night when she did not want to be alone.
He revealed some things to her that she was not so happy to hear, but that gave her opportunity to prepare to leave this world. With each new “revealing,” she understood His love for her and His grace, even His sovereignty, though she wanted her life prolonged.
She knew He got the final say.
Sometimes, God is doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19 at the top) and we do not perceive it. Sometimes He lets us see what is coming. He prepares his people.
God revealed to Pharaoh what He was about to do to Egypt (Genesis 41:25). The Lord revealed His plan to have Samuel anoint Saul as King (1 Samuel 9:15). Psalm 98 says that God has revealed His righteousness to the nations! Noah (Genesis 3:16), Lot (Genesis 19:8), Saul (Acts 9:5).
In Matthew Jesus tells Simon Peter that the only way he knows that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is because God has revealed this truth to him (Matthew 16:17).
Our God is a great communicator! He reveals Himself above all else.
He will tell us what we need to know. The hard part is believing that if He does not tell us, we do not “need” to know, or we must wait for His perfect timing to find out.
I love serving Jesus Christ as one who “feeds His sheep”. It is my desire to teach God’s Word diligently, with reverence and awe for the Source of the truths I teach, and with an engaging, and sometimes witty, delivery so that the hearers will not just listen but do what it says.
- For Our Good - February 12, 2020
- Future Benefits - January 8, 2020
- Attention Getting Behavior - October 16, 2019
Oh, the waiting. As much as I don’t like the waiting or the silence, it’s often then that I move closer to God. Seems kind of backwards in a way. But he’s awfully smart so maybe he did that on purpose. 🙂
Indeed, “awfully smart.” If only we would trust that the waits, as well as the reveals, are measures of Hid grace as He draws us closer.
“He will tell us what we need to know. The hard part is believing that if He does not tell us, we do not “need” to know, or we must wait for His perfect timing to find out.” Oiy, the waiting, the waiting! But the eventual revealing is so wonder-filled!
As I read your testimony of God’s perfect timing, I’m reminded of a visitor we had to our church today. Short story: She is a missionary, and literally, at every 11th our, God showed up, and showed up MIRACULOUSLY, almost as if to say, “You asked for this, but I’m going to give you THIS!”. Amen. Thank you also for the reminder that his ways are not my own. He is so much bigger.