Why all the Mystery, God?

I confess when I am in a hurry, mysteries are a bother. But, on the other hand, when I have my truest priorities aligned, I love to figure things out and pull the obscure together into a compelling whole. It is the Father's perfect will to help us find the breadcrumbs that lead us to better understand Him and ourselves with greater insight and spiritual authority.

God seems to like making things precise or obscure. Sometimes He does both in the exact moment, sermon, divine interaction, service, or story. Proverbs tells us that "it is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings" (25.2). I imagine that Jesus' statement about His teaching has caused students of ministry to scratch their heads and wonder why. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others, I speak in parables, so that, "'Though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' (Luke 8.10)

Is it possible then that the seeking, more than the easy gathering of information, is to be part of finding the narrow way He mentioned? Is it possible that we must go slowly to go fast when it comes to God's mysteries because His truths are not "sale rack" truths, easily bought, at the moment, and then discarded like yesterday's junk mail? Instead, His truth and gifts of wisdom are of eternal worth.

There is so much that our Father gives us that costs us nothing, but one must invest themself, with great struggle, at times, to understand what we are to know. Proverbs calls it "buying truth." But, we are also told not to sell it once we get it. There is still an unfolding mystery behind everything my Father has done and is doing. I love that I get to talk with Him about everything and sense His joy at discovering freshly understood truth.

So, if someone wants to understand the mysteries of God, to go deeper into His heart, there is a time-price to pay. There is a thinking time to invest in and a deeper relationship to be gained through prayer. There are things God will keep hidden from those who only want someone to spoon-feed the Word to them. Living in God in a crazy world can become a parabolic mystery. Therefore, we must search out all that we don't understand in God in submission to the Holy Spirit and the Words of God, both written and spoken to our hearts.

I remember asking, why all the mysteries, God? I now see that it's because He raises us to be Kings and Queens under His authority. Searching out things is what we are all made in Christ to do. It's part of our new nature, and it is our inheritance to gain knowledge of Him, learn continually, enjoy delving into more than just the surface truths, and one day rule with our beloved.

Slow down, my soul, enjoy the mystery, let the Holy Spirit lead you into all truth, and continue to become what you should become—a child who lives with the glory of Kings.

—George Davis

Look What the Lord Has Done!

The lyrics of a song I grew up hearing in church have been on repeat in my mind.

He has done marvelous, 

He has done marvelous things. 

Praise the Lord!

I remember the choir repeating these two sentences over and over again in ascending octaves, and the congregation becoming more and more excited clapping, swaying, singing along in response. With this image in mind, how beautiful would it be if more of our conversations with one another were like this? Children of God testifying of God’s goodness and declaring His greatness to one another, telling of His good deeds and mighty acts, reflecting on God’s awesomeness, His unfailing and steadfast love toward us, His rescue, and healing. ‭‭The effect? As one testifies and exalts the Lord, the hearts of others are gladdened, and they join in to tell of God’s goodness and greatness too. 

Psalms‬ ‭34‬:1-‭4 ( ‭AMP‬‬) says, 

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us lift up His name together. I sought the Lord [on the authority of His word], and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.” 

It inspires glee in me to think that David is essentially saying, “Hey! I’m praising God all the time; I can’t help myself (Vs 1). Something cool happens when I do (Vs 2). Y’all come do it with me (Vs 3)! I’m going first: Look what the Lord has done (Vs4)!” Have you ever felt that way? Has God been good or mighty in your circumstance and you could not contain yourself?

David often expresses his commitment and irresistible urge to praise and testify in the Psalms. Psalms‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬ (‭AMP) “I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds,” ‭‭‬‬ and Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(AMP) “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,” ‭are just a couple more examples. I am encouraged and my heart is stirred up with joy every time I read these Psalms. I guess that is to be expected. “The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice.” Christ also told some people He delivered to tell what He had done for them, like the demonized man of Gerasenes in Mark 5 and Luke 8. 

“Return home and tell [about] all the great things God has done for you.” So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭39‬ ‭AMP)‬‬

The funny thing is that other times Jesus explicitly told people not to tell anyone what He did for them, but they could not help themselves! Even Paul, while admonishing the Ephesians to be imitators of God, instructed them to “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭AMP‬‬). 

I am so excited to share more time with others telling of God’s awesomeness and goodness. Aren’t you? I’m praying for it. “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18) Our God has done and continues to do marvelous things. Praise the Lord! He is worthy!

— Anyah E. R. White

Transitional Times

Transitional periods in life are often uncomfortable because of the degree of uncertainty that is associated with them. A transitional period involves changes to the way we have been used to doing things. Merriam Webster’s thesaurus lists the top three words most similar to transition as, “transformation, adjustment, and changeover.”[1] This is a time period when the only thing that appears to be certain is change itself. It involves a transformation from what is familiar to the unfamiliar while being forced to adjust to the new outcomes and accept that change, at least to some degree, will be inevitable. When transitional times are unanticipated, they create an even more challenging degree of manageability as the clock keeps ticking and business must continue as usual, regardless of how one is adjusting to the transformation and change that takes place with each decision made. It allowed no time to plan a strategy, let alone get ready for the rollercoaster ride.

God is still God…

The Bible says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”[2] So no matter what the level of readjustment we are facing, we must remain focused on the fact that God never changes. He will never leave us. His presence was with us before this time period and will be with us during and after the transition. God promised to be faithful until the very end. Maybe the uncertainties of unanticipated changes bring a dim picture of where we are but that is only if we are looking with the natural eyes. As servants of a supernatural God, we must remember what the prophet Isaiah said, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”[3] Regardless of how things may look on the outside, God’s word will stand forever and He will never forsake us. If we are praying like it depends on God and receive it as we are instructed to when we pray, then we know clearer days are coming. God told the Israelites, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”[4] Basically, God was letting them know that He can make the miracle happen out of what may seem impossible. If He can make a river in the desert, He can surely manage our fears, anxieties, and even  uncertainty to make wonders happen that we never even dreamed of. Sometimes our problem is being unable to discern that God wants to work in us and through us, so we become anxious. Anxiety sometimes drives us to try to manufacture miracles ourselves, trusting primarily on what we know. If we (over)step in, we rob God of all the glory, and more than likely he will step back and allow us to experience the fruit of our weak trust in him. He tells us in the book of Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths…”[5] It's difficult to sometimes just “trust.” Especially when situations are unexpected and there are changes happening with decisions to be made, sometimes under crucial time frames. The scripture reads, “in all your ways acknowledge him…” It doesn’t read, “in some ways - acknowledge him.” It reads, “in all your ways acknowledge him.” So whether we are acting out of certainty or not, we must acknowledge him and his power. He has promised to “direct our paths.”

God is still God, even through periods in our lives we don’t understand. Whether it is starting a new career you didn’t prepare for, a change in family structure like marriage, the loss physical or spiritual of someone whom you depended on, the birth of a new baby, or whatever it may be; God is still God. And if we delight in the Lord, we know that He has called us for a purpose. The scripture reminds us that when this is the case, everything will ultimately be alright. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) says that, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Regardless of what the situation may be, we believe that it has to fall into rhythm. It has to work. Not only work, but work for good. For us who were called according to His purpose. In the natural, it seems as if it could never work out. It appears that it is taking or it has taken too long. It looks dark. Uncertain. But we serve a supernatural God.

I once heard a message that talked about how if you go outside of your home and step into your backyard at 9 o’clock in the evening or at 3 o’clock in the morning it is impossible to tell the difference in time by just looking at the surroundings. It is just as dark. The beauty is that at 12 midnight, it became a new day. When you go out at 2, or 3 in the morning, it may seem just as dark as 11 p.m. the night before, but it is certainly a new day. Focusing on the surroundings clouds the fact that the sun will rise and there is nothing humanly possible  that can stop that new day from happening. The same principle can be applied to the challenges we encounter during difficult transitional times. It may look dark. It may look overly challenging to deal with the changes. We feel doomed. If we believe our heavenly Father and trust His promises, we will realize that the sun will unstoppably come up again. A new day will begin, and we will reap the rewards of believing in His word which as we are aware of, “does not return to him void.”[6] So let’s receive his promises and trust that no transition can shake the very foundation that He has already established with and for our lives. In the name which is above all names, Jesus. Amen.

—R. Bermúdez

[1] Retrieved 4/3/2023 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transition

[2] Hebrews 13:8, NKJV

[3] Isaiah 40:8, NKJV

[4] Isaiah 43:18-19, (NKJV)

[5] Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NKJV)

[6] Isaiah 55:11, NKJV

Tiempos de Transición

Los períodos de transición en la vida a menudo son incómodos debido al grado de incertidumbre que se asocia con ellos. Un período de transición implica cambios en la forma en que estamos acostumbrados a hacer las cosas. El diccionario de sinónimos de Merriam Webster enumera las tres palabras principales más similares a la transición como "transformación, ajuste y cambio".[1] Este es un período de tiempo en el que lo único que parece seguro es el cambio mismo. Implica una transformación de lo que es familiar a lo desconocido mientras uno es obligado a adaptarse a los nuevos resultados y aceptar que este cambio, al menos hasta cierto punto, será inevitable. Cuando los tiempos de transición no se anticipan, crean un grado de manejabilidad aún más desafiante a medida que el reloj sigue corriendo y la vida debe continuar como de costumbre, independientemente de cómo uno se ajuste a la transformación y el cambio que tiene lugar con cada decisión que se toma. No dio tiempo para planificar una estrategia, y mucho menos prepararse para la incertidumbre.

Dios sigue siendo Dios…

La Biblia dice: “Jesucristo es el mismo ayer, hoy y por los siglos”.[2] Entonces, sin importar el nivel de reajuste al que nos enfrentemos, debemos permanecer enfocados en el hecho de que nuestro Dios nunca cambia. Él nunca nos dejará. Su presencia estuvo con nosotros antes de este período de tiempo y estará con nosotros durante y después de la transición. Dios prometió ser fiel hasta el final. Tal vez las incertidumbres de los cambios imprevistos traen una imagen tenue de dónde estamos, pero eso es solo si estamos mirando con los ojos naturales. Como siervos de un Dios sobrenatural, debemos recordar lo que dijo el profeta Isaías: “La hierba se seca y la flor se marchita, pero la palabra de nuestro Dios permanece para siempre”.[3] Independientemente de cómo se vean las cosas por fuera, la palabra de Dios permanecerá para siempre y Él nunca nos abandonará. Si estamos orando como si dependiera de Dios y lo recibimos como se nos indica cuando oramos, entonces sabemos que vendrán días más claros. Dios les dijo a los israelitas: “Olviden las cosas de antaño; ya no vivan en el pasado. ¡Voy a hacer algo nuevo! Ya está sucediendo, ¿no se dan cuenta? Estoy abriendo un camino en el desierto, y ríos en lugares desolados”.[4] Básicamente, Dios les estaba haciendo saber que Él puede hacer que suceda el milagro de lo que parece imposible. Si Él puede hacer ríos en lugares desolados, seguramente puede manejar nuestros miedos, ansiedades e incluso nuestra incertidumbre para hacer que sucedan maravillas que ni siquiera soñamos. A veces, nuestro problema es no poder discernir que Dios quiere obrar en nosotros y a través de nosotros, por lo que nos angustiamos. La ansiedad a veces nos impulsa a intentar fabricar milagros nosotros mismos, confiando principalmente en nuestro entendimiento. Si intervenimos, le robamos a Dios toda la gloria, y lo más probable es que retroceda y nos permita experimentar el fruto de nuestra débil confianza en él. Él nos dice en el libro de Proverbios: “Confía en el Señor de todo corazón,  y no en tu propia inteligencia. Reconócelo en todos tus caminos,  y él allanará tus sendas.”[5] A veces es difícil simplemente "confiar". Especialmente cuando las situaciones son inesperadas y hay cambios que suceden con las decisiones que se deben tomar, a veces en marcos de tiempo cruciales. La escritura dice, “reconócelo en todos tus caminos…” No dice, “en algunos caminos, reconócelo”. Dice: “Reconócelo en todos tus caminos”. Entonces, ya sea que estemos actuando con certeza o no, debemos reconocerlo a Él y su poder. Él ha prometido “dirigir nuestros caminos”.

Dios sigue siendo Dios, incluso a través de períodos en nuestras vidas que no entendemos. Ya sea comenzar una nueva carrera para la que no se estamos preparados, un cambio en la estructura familiar como el matrimonio, la pérdida física o espiritual de alguien de quien uno dependía, el nacimiento de un nuevo bebé, o lo que sea; Dios sigue siendo Dios. Y si nos deleitamos en el Señor, sabemos que Él nos ha llamado con un propósito. La escritura nos recuerda que cuando este es el caso, finalmente todo estará bien. Romanos 8:28 (NVI) dice que, “Ahora bien, sabemos que Dios dispone todas las cosas para el bien de quienes lo aman, los que han sido llamados de acuerdo con su propósito.”. Independientemente de cuál sea la situación, confiamos que tiene que caer en ritmo. Tiene que funcionar. No sólo funcionar, sino funcionar para el bien. Para nosotros que fuimos llamados conforme a Su propósito. En lo natural, parece como si nunca pudiera funcionar. Parece que está tardando o ha tardado demasiado. Parece muy incierto. Pero servimos a un Dios sobrenatural.

Una vez escuché un mensaje acerca de que si uno sale de su casa y entra en el patio trasero a las 9 de la noche o a las 3 de la mañana es imposible notar la diferencia horaria con solo mirar en los alrededores. Es igual de oscuro. La belleza es que a las 12 de la media noche, se convirtió en un nuevo día. Cuando sales a las 2 o 3 de la mañana, puede parecer tan oscuro como a las 11 de la noche, pero definitivamente es un nuevo día. Centrarse en los alrededores nubla el hecho de que saldrá el sol y no hay nada humanamente posible que pueda impedir que suceda ese nuevo día. El mismo principio se puede aplicar a los desafíos que enfrentamos durante tiempos de transición difíciles. Puede parecer oscuro. Puede parecer que el cambio parezca demasiado desafiante. Nos sentimos condenados. Si creemos en nuestro Padre celestial y confiamos en sus promesas, nos daremos cuenta de que el sol volverá a salir imparablemente. Comenzará un nuevo día y cosecharemos las recompensas de creer en su palabra que, como sabemos, “no vuelve a él vacía”.[6] Así que recibamos sus promesas y confiemos en que ninguna transición puede hacer temblar los mismos cimientos que Él ya ha establecido con y para nuestras vidas. En el nombre que es sobre todo nombre, Jesús. Amén

R. Bermúdez

[1] Recuperado el 3/4/2023 de https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transition

[2] Hebreos 13:8, NVI

[3] Isaías 40:8, NVI

[4] Isaías 43:18-19, (NVI)

[5] Proverbios 3: 5-6 (NVI)

[6] Isaías 55:11, NVI

Home for Easter

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)

In Grace for the Moment, Volume 2, 110, Max Lucado writes this.

One of the reference points of London is the Charing Cross. It is near the geographical center of the city and serves as a navigational tool for those confused by the streets.

A little girl was lost in the great city. A policeman found her. Between sobs and tears, she explained she didn’t know her way home. He asked her if she knew her address. She didn’t. He asked her phone number; she didn’t know that either. But when he asked her what she knew, suddenly her face lit up.

“I know the Cross,” she said. “Show me the Cross and I can find my way home from there.”

So can you. Keep a clear vision of the cross on your horizon and you can find your way home.

Home where your Father lives. Home where you are loved, protected, and safe. Home where you belong.

Jesus died an excruciating, torturous death on the Roman cross for you on that Good Friday more than two thousand years ago—so you can be reunited with your loving Father. So that you can go home. Doesn’t that thrill you? Humble you? Mystify you?

Home. This side of the fall, everyone on this spinning planet yearns for, longs for home. We imagine it to be a place of rest and stability, the familiar residence where we fit in. But how often is home an empty illusion void of the peace we so desperately seek?

Yanked from God, not one of us truly belongs here. Our frustrated desires to be with Him leave us wandering through life, lost and confused like the little British child in the story.

We want to be home. We long to be home.

Kathryn Butler, “Wanderers on the Earth,” from Desiring God’s website, explains it so well.

Our heritage as nomads began when Adam and Eve, trembling, skulked away from the garden with their eyes averted from God (Genesis 3:21-24). Our displacement has continued since then, driving us into shackles (Deuteronomy 6:21), into the wilderness (Numbers 32:13), into a constant restlessness as we strive to become whole again. To be gathered and led, finally, completely, by the patient, loving arms of the good shepherd (Zechariah 10:2; John 10:11).

In the meantime, our souls stir in discontent. Restlessness grips our bones. “How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2). While we seek, strive, and pine for belonging, we know the rust-colored roads and white clapboard are only shadows of the home for which we all yearn.

Yet even in our most desperate longing, we have hope. As C.S. Lewis writes, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world” (Mere Christianity, 138). While photographs grow yellow and roots from trees push through the decaying sidewalk, we remain God’s beloved. We bear his image (Genesis 1:27). He knows every wind-torn hair upon our heads (Matthew 10:30). Christ offers us, at long last, the promise of home, and peace, and belonging for which we all thirst (Psalm 42:1 Matthew 11:28). While we struggle through cultures and memory to discern our place, we cling to the hope that this sojourn on earth is transient. As Paul writes, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

We serve a God who hears our cries, who knows the fracturing of our hearts as we wander the earth. Through Christ’s sacrifice, he welcomes us into respite (Psalm 107:4-7). As the Father embraces his prodigal son, so God rushes to us with open arms, welcoming us to his table, inviting us to enjoy the communion possible only through the healing power of redemption (Luke 15:20)—through the forgiveness of our sins, which at long last restores us to God and makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).

In Christ, we find belonging. Through him we revel in a joy without boundaries, a joy that never fades, a joy whose walls will never crumble to dust. As the road unwinds, Christ’s resurrection draws us into the perfect communion for which our souls ache. He restores us. He renews us. He finally, gently pulls us weary and dust-covered from our wanderings, and at last calls us home.

So let’s keep a clear vision of the cross.

This Holy Week let’s be filled with awe and wonder and gratitude for our Savior whose body was broken and bruised there on that cross, whose blood was so willingly poured out to cover our sins, the innocent for the guilty. His selfless sacrifice amazingly provides the forgiveness we need and reestablishes our precious relationship with God.

We are no longer lost!

Yes, now we can find our way home. We can be with our loving and merciful Father forever. Believe that with all your heart, dear friends.  

We can finally be where we truly belong.

—Eileen Hill