Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:8-4:6; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 28:14
“That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, ‘Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.”
“You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised. I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge.”
“Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.”
I’d like to know what makes life work. It would be most excellent to have the Lord’s vision and knowledge. At least, then, maybe I could actually avoid a mistake or two. So, why doesn’t the Creator let us in on a few more of His secrets? The thing I’d most like to know is why I don’t know more. As a Christian of some years’ experience, I ought to be getting a handle on spiritual issues, but it sometimes seems as if I am not one step farther along the path God’s set out. Why are so many of the things of God still unrecognizable? Why isn’t the Spirit more real, more easily heard? Why don’t I do what I want to do – what the Father wants me to do – and do do what I know I ought not to do? Why does the Father continue to love us when we seemingly do just about whatever we can to make ourselves unlovable? These are the unfathomable secrets, the eternal mysteries.
Alas, just venting. Most likely, we are destined to remain relatively ignorant about the way our Creator thinks, and why we are what we are, even as Christians, as long as we are on this side of heaven. There’s probably several reasons Christ does not tell us more in advance. We may not like or accept the answers, and might not be able to handle them all that well, either. They’d probably make us look ugly and ungrateful. Oh, sure, Original Sin plays its part in each of our stories, but Christ was clear we no longer have to buy into that if we don’t want to. Thus, deeper answers get very personal. I just stubbornly, stupidly continue to prefer my own ways to His. That’s the simple answer. Does why really matter?
We can quickly lose both ourselves and our faith by demanding answers the Father is not ready to provide, or which we really do not need. So, we need to understand there’s also another reason Jehovah remains a mystery. We refuse to be put in a position to make use of Him. We do not put ourselves on the line for Him, so we are not worthy of His secrets. A big part of faith is moving ahead despite not knowing all we’d like to know. It’s trusting when we’d prefer to have explanations and details. Our Father knows what’s best for us, and that’s pretty much all we need to know. What about this for a concept: we learn from the Spirit when we need to understand, and not before. Our discomfort and unwillingness to respond to the call of Christ says more about our faith than our knowledge. There is always a reason not to grow if we seek to justify our sloth diligently enough, and the Father’s silence is a well-worn excuse. The Lord, however, almost always requires us to actually do something before He will reveal much of anything. Instead of looking for reasons not to live as disciples, then, we should be asking where we might best plug in and learn the game. Think of it as on the job training. Those who prefer to sit on the sidelines rarely come to fully understand or appreciate the game. The challenge is always finding a way to get into the game, not looking for a reason to avoid it.
Case in point: when I was a young teen, I pretty much felt forced to play high school football. Both my Dad and brother were big football players in their days, and I guess I felt I owed it to my pedigree. They were, of course, delighted, and I did not want to disappoint them, either. But the fact was, I hated football. Besides having a decided aversion to the physical contact involved, I didn’t connect with the players or coaches. We shared no interests. My athletic DNA just didn’t run to football. I honestly was glad when I did not play. The entire game seemed futile and stupid, especially from the sidelines. So the sidelines were where I stayed. Then, one day at practice, inexplicably, the coaches put me in at middle linebacker against the first team. (They probably figured it was time to run me off for good. Dead wood does nothing for team spirit.) The first play came right at me. I didn’t do much, but the ball carrier literally ran into me anyway, and I had my first tackle, basically because I was just in the way. The guard charged with blocking me got a public humiliating from the coach, then they ran the same play with the same result. I don’t know why they weren’t blocking me, but the second time, I actually leaned a bit into the ball carrier at contact and enjoyed watching him fall over me. This went on for several series and obviously was as much a mystery to everyone else as it was to me. Finally, the coaches gave it up and just made us all run the rest of practice. I was pumped that day. I found I could play the game, if I wanted to. By the end, I was intentional about stuffing the plays. But my enthusiasm was short lived. I rejected the opportunity presented and went back to thinking of ways to stay anonymous. After that year, I never played football again, because there always seemed to be one reason or another to avoid it. Unsurprisingly, I never learned the game and basically got nothing out of my brief experience on the gridiron.
Similarly, the Lord will not trust His secrets to those without a burning passion for them. Could I have played football? Could I be a better disciple? Could I have a better knowledge of the secret things of Yahweh? The answer to all questions is yes. But not from the sidelines. We have to get into the game before its mysteries and strategies will be fully revealed. God’s question, then, is why we don’t move forward in faith to accomplish His purposes for our lives. Our answer, sadly, is usually just that it’s too much trouble, too inconvenient., too risky or daunting without more information and without guarantees. Yet, then, we still get upset when God no longer reveals His will to us. This is a silly way to live, and if we expect the Lord to reveal His secrets to us regardless, we have silly expectations, too.
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