DAY 19 - January 23 - Navigating Mystery

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

What do we think Heaven will be like? A continual worship service where we are all singing our hearts out with hands raised? Or maybe we have a picture of eternal cloud-sitting and harp playing? Some people think it will be a big reunion with all our friends and loved ones reunited in one big celebration. Whatever it is really like, it is currently a mystery to us. For some mysteries, we just have to wait for the big reveal. But, some mysteries can be searched out if we follow the clues.

Solving mysteries is a lot of fun. Whenever we watch a mystery, Kim inevitably asks why something just happened. She just can’t wait for the mystery to be solved! She wants to know now what hasn’t yet been revealed by the unfolding plot. If we can’t keep following the story without understanding absolutely every element of the plot, we won’t be there at the end. We follow the clues until we can add them all up and hopefully solve the mystery before it is revealed in the story. God hides mysteries like that. There are always clues to follow. But we suspend our joy at solving it until enough clues are put together to work it out.

Mystery weeds out the uninterested, the unmotivated and the casual seeker. God wants motivated seekers searching out His mysteries. The unknown is not there to frustrate us. It is there to draw us closer to God. Mystery, and it’s pursuit, increases our understanding, our wisdom and our overall capacity to receive from the Lord.

The only way for the unknown to become known is to explore it. Exploration is a combination of humility, hunger, asking, honoring and holding in our heart what we come to understand.

I think it is awesome that those who seek to understand unknown things are considered “kings” by the Lord. It is a royal pursuit. If we are only concerned with our own life, we are living everyman’s life. But, if we are concerned with divine strategies and unknown mysteries that influence events in the nations, then we are living as royal sons and daughters.

If we wait until we are about to die to become interested in unseen and unknown things, we are missing the incredible opportunity to search out understanding of divine matters in this life. Salvation is the threshold to the abundant life. It is the beginning of eternal life and that life is happening now. Let’s not miss out on how we could be living, simply because we weren’t curious enough to pursue the mystery of God.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 

John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 

Colossians 1:26 NLT This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. 

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 

Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 

Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Psalm 103:7 He made known His ways to Moses, 
His acts to the children of Israel. 

MEDITATION

• What is the focus of your pursuit of God? Is it mostly personal development? Is it mostly about meeting the needs of your family? How much time do you spend just to know Him and understand His ways?

• Think about how you can elevate your pursuit of God. Write down a few strategies you can implement that would increase your understanding of God’s ways, not just His answers to prayer. What motivates God’s heart?

• Understanding mystery is considered as wisdom. When we pursue understanding, our overall spiritual capacity goes up. When God shows you something about Himself consider it as treasure. We guard treasure and protect it, so as not to lose it. How much treasure have you accumulated in life?