Hi sisters,
The past several weeks have been quite disorienting for us all and it has been difficult for me to focus my mind enough to write a post. Maybe you are experiencing the same thing? Constant changes, new regulations, stay-at-home orders, economic uncertainty, etc. And this is on top of an already trying season for me. My mind has been on overdrive. Conversations between God and I have been quite raw. There have been days I do not even want to open my Bible. Yet, as I was reading my journal notes from my quiet times over the last couple of months, I came across a quiet time that seemed especially timely.
Here are some of the verses that caught my attention:
“The heavens declare the glory of God , and the sky above proclaims his handiwork . . . the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. . . Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:1, 8b, 11).
“so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10).
The first part of Psalm 19 records that God reveals His glory through creation. A sunset beckons us to stop and stare with awe. The songs of the morning birds sing praises to the One they know is King. A sprouting leaf finally pushing through the dirt reminds us that life raises from death. Nature is a voice that speaks the mysteries of our All Powerful God if we only pause to listen. Our senses are awakened to His glory: we can see the stars, we can feel the rain, we can smell the flowers, and we can hear the wind. (Pause and think about this!)
But God doesn’t stop there in Psalm 19. Through language, God reveals even more of Himself with greater clarity. Language is part of a culture’s fabric. Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave His people His command and covenant in their language! As the Psalmist says, this enlightens our eyes. His words are not hidden in some secret code, but revealed to us to guide our steps and lead us in His ways (though we cannot assume we will ever fully understand the Bible). This reminds me of a passage from Deuteronomy which says:
“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. . . I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life” (30:11-14, 19b).
God still has more to His plan. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he explains that a great mystery has now been revealed: the the Gentiles are full members of God’s covenant community in Jesus through the gospel. This new multi-ethnic community was meant to display the very wisdom of God! What an incredible calling! We are called to participate in God’s work of revealing Himself! I am humbled by the call of God for me and us together to put God’s wisdom on display. It’s a little daunting actually. But remember, He has not left us without guidance (His Word) nor without power (Holy Spirit).
And every time we choose the kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness, we reveal God’s wisdom: when we forgive instead of remaining bitter; when we live in authentic and vulnerable relationships/ community instead of shallow, put-on-a-mask relationships; when we give generously instead of hoarding; when we use our words for edifying instead of gossiping; when we seek self-control instead of self-indulgence; when we choose a sober mind instead of numbing it with vices; when we sacrifice time to spend time in God’s Word and prayer instead of giving into the tyranny of the urgent; when we open our heart to disciple other women instead of keeping to ourselves; AND MORE!
And lastly (this part wasn’t in my quiet time, but I have to mention it), God has also revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus. This reminds me of a passage in Hebrews:
“[God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (1:2-3a).
During these uncertain times when my mind is racing on all the “unknowns,” it was good to be reminded of what God has revealed; because He has revealed SO much to us and continues to do so! I can relish in creation to behold God’s glory, remembering that even when God seems silent He is ALWAYS speaking through His Word, remembering that I am still called to reveal God’s wisdom to others (even in trials), while fixing my eyes on Jesus as my example. I hope you stand firm in what God has revealed and trust Him with the rest!
By the River Together 