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Wanna Know A Secret?
Everyone loves secrets. Whisper a secret to a child, and immediately his eyes light up. However, children don’t have a corner on the secrets market. Adults love to hear secrets almost as much as children love to tell them.
God has secrets—boy, does He have secrets! As if we didn’t know this already, the Bible tells us so.“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)
The funny thing about God’s secrets is that he isn’t averse to telling us some of them. He told Abraham before he even had a son that his heirs would be held captive in a foreign land for many years. Genesis 15:13, “Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.”
God told Moses He would send His Prophet at some point in the future, and Moses shared this secret with the Israelites in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”
When God came in the flesh in the person of Jesus, He revealed His secrets in a form mankind had never seen before. John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
Jesus revealed many secrets to his disciples. He even revealed explicit details about his upcoming death. Matthew 20:18-19, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
While we may be quick to criticize the disciples for ignoring all the secrets Jesus revealed about his death, the Lord has also revealed some secrets to believers living on this side of the cross. First and foremost, Jesus told us His future plans. Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”
In the same way Jesus revealed His death to His disciples, He’s made known His second coming to all believers. He said, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:30-31)
God even gave us a promise about His secrets: “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)
Every secret God wants us to know, He’s already revealed through his prophets. And, in His grace, He made sure those of us living in 2015 would have access to those secrets because He had His prophets write them down.
Wanna know a secret? Just read His Word. There you’ll find the best-kept secrets!
I Want To Know God
Last week, I talked with a young lady who had been a believer for several years, but who had just recently decided to become involved in a Bible study. She said, “I want to know God, and I know that’s only going to happen if I study my Bible.”
Without realizing it, this young lady had made a profound statement. There’s no way anyone can know God except through the study of Scriptures, except through studying the revelation He’s given us through the Word He’s given us. The best way to learn about God is to read and study and meditate on the love letter He’s written to us.
Although I met my husband-to-be when I was sixteen years old, for the next two years, we lived a thousand miles away from each other and never had the opportunity to spend any time together. I understood why my friends and family were surprised when I announced James and I were getting married only a couple of months after my eighteenth birthday. What they failed to grasp was that James and I had been corresponding with each other regularly, and, through those letters, we had come to know each other as well as many couples who had been dating for several years.
While this illustrates the concept of getting to know God through reading His Word, it fails to portray the real picture of how intimacy with God is possible through the study of His Word. This truth can only be experienced when a believer spends time in the Word every day. This is the way God has chosen to build a relationship with His children. This is the way God speaks to His children, and this is the way His children learn to recognize the voice of the Father.
Jesus said His followers are able to discern His voice. John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Read His Word, become familiar with the sound of His voice, if you truly “want to know God.”
I’m Doing Something Different This Year
I never make New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that I think there’s something wrong with doing so. I’ve just developed an aversion to the concept, probably because New Year’s resolutions get a lot of bad press.
From comedians to newspaper articles, everywhere you turn, people make fun of New Year’s resolutions. The jokes usually refer to breaking them within a day or even an hour and often involve some form of deprecating humor.
However–and you knew there was going to be a “however” in this piece–I do like the idea of trying something different because a new year has begun.
Here’s what I’m going to be doing differently this year:
Change the way I do my morning Quiet Time: I’ve had a Bible study, prayer and meditation time every morning for the past forty years. I embraced this practice after reading a little booklet entitled Your Time Alone With God. At the end of the book, there was a signature line asking for a commitment to start a morning devotional time. I put my name on that line. Then, underneath my signature, I saw these words, “You’ve now made a commitment to meet the Lord every morning. He’s going to be there. Don’t stand him up.”
I didn’t.
Through these many years, I’ve often followed daily Bible reading plans–reading through the Bible in a year–but, at other times, I’ve concentrated on one book of the Bible for a whole year. Although I’ve often used devotional books, these books have always included daily passages of Scripture. Reading His Word every morning has transformed my life, and I’ve never regretted signing my name on the bottom line.
This year, I’m changing things up a bit because I received a brand new Bible. My old Bible was falling apart, and, for too many years, I put off getting a new one because I’d filled up the margins of the old one with sermon outlines, notes, and tears. I didn’t want to let that go. Now, it’s time to start over.
This year, I’m reading through my new Bible without being able to read my old notes in the margins. I’m writing down new thoughts, shedding new tears, and meditating on newly discovered glories.
As I finished reading through my old Bible last year, knowing I was going to be “breaking in” a new Bible this year, these words from Revelation 21:5 spoke to me: “And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new ” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
Even if you have to make a New Year’s resolution to accomplish it, make it a daily practice to read His Word in 2015. You’re sure to find His Words are “faithful and true.”
Why Not Start January 1st?
A New Year. A New You. That phrase, or some variation of it, often appears in commercials and print advertisements around this time of year. It’s used to motivate a consumer to purchase a product which will make a difference in a person’s health, appearance, or career choice in the new year. At least that’s what’s promised.
While such products may indeed change a person’s health, appearance, or career choice, a true version of the “New You” only comes through the One who created it all, the Creator God. Ezekiel 36:26, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
This same promise is repeated in the New Testament. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
How does God work to bring about the “new heart” or the “new creature” described in these verses? He’s sent His Word down to earth, to His Creation, to do just that. “And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” John 1:14.
By putting faith in His Word, that is, in His communication with man in the form of His son, Jesus Christ, a person can become a new creature.
Faith in Christ is what makes you a New You.
However, the New You must be renewed daily. Renewal in Christ comes through reading His Word. ” For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.
Why not start your daily renewal of the New You on January 1st? Explore all your options for daily spending time in His Word on these websites.
Resources for Reading The Bible in 2015
Is Your Life Out Of Focus?
One of the great things about most cameras today is the automatic focusing feature. I’m old enough to remember using a camera that required fiddling with a bunch of dials before snapping the picture. Most of the time, those waiting to be photographed weren’t very patient about this process, and, oftentimes, after all that effort, the photo turned out to be out of focus after all.
As children of God, it would be nice to have this automatic focusing mechanism built into our daily lives. Then, the moment our lives became blurry around the edges–from partaking of all the world has to offer, from neglecting Bible study, from participating in non-glorying-God activities–then our focus would automatically be returned to our Father, to concentrating on His plan for our lives, to living out Christ in us, “the hope of Glory” (Colossians 1:27).
However, none of us has an automatic focusing mechanism. What we do have, though, is something even better–the Word of God. Whereas something working in the background and automatically redirecting one’s focus towards God sounds good, in reality, such a device would ultimately lead to apathy and to taking God for granted. It would not adhere to the command “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
God’s Word redirects our focus to Him in numerous passages of Scripture throughout the Old and New Testament. One of my favorite such verses is 2 Thessalonians 3:5: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
Have you lost your focus? Direct your heart today to the love of God. “The love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).
Direct your heart also to the steadfastness of Christ. “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Spending time with the Lord in daily Bible study and prayer brings clarity to our lives. It sharpens an otherwise blurry picture.
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“Look Inside” What’s That All About?
I recently read a blog post in which the writer said she never read reviews of the books she was interested in, nor did she read the book blurbs in the descriptions of the book. All she cared about was the free excerpt offered by the author or publication site.
Most books listed on Amazon have this feature. It’s called “Look Inside” and it provides any potential book purchaser the opportunity to read the prologue or first ten percent of a book at no charge. When book buyers are surveyed after making a purchase, the “Look Inside” aspect appears to play a significant role in determining whether the book was added to their cart or not.
In fact, some websites now specialize in creating little gizmos an author can put on websites and blogs that make previewing a book an exciting experience, mimicking the actual turning of pages from a real book. (Both my website and this blog contain one of these widgets.)
In reality, every Sunday morning, pastors and Bible teachers all around the world are trying to entice readers to “Look Inside” when they open up the Bible to teach and preach. For approximately thirty minutes, these men and women are providing excerpts from one or several books in the Bible, hoping their lessons or sermons will serve up an appetizer and their listeners will return to their private lives ready to dive into the main course.
Many who use social media like Facebook and Twitter or who blog do the same thing whenever they share a Bible verse. Such posts say, “Look Inside,” there’s something worth reading here. I believe such practices are Biblically based and will be blessed.
The Bible itself urges potential readers to “Look Inside.” Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.”
Should This Verse Be In The Bible?
I had one of those “Well, duh,” moments this morning when I was reading my Bible. It came from 1 Samuel 12:21, where the prophet Samuel is issuing a warning to the people in a kind of farewell address. He says, “And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.” I was tempted to skip over that verse and not spend anytime meditating on it because its meaning wasn’t difficult to understand—empty things are, well . . . empty.
However, the verse’s obvious logic gave me pause. Other translations—I was reading from the ESV—rendered “empty” as “useless” or “vain.” So, here’s my own paraphrase of the verse: “Don’t spend your time, emotions, and energy running after or thinking about useless things. Useless things—anything or anyone who promises to deliver you or to bring you profit—are useless.”
Even with my expansion of the warning, the verse’s original reasoning doesn’t change. The message is clear. The simplest reading makes perfect sense. It’s common sense. So why does it need to be in the Bible in the first place? Why is it part of Holy Scripture? Why is it taking up valuable space?
These words are here because, despite our knowing the truth, we DO run after empty things. As fallen creatures, we are running after, looking for, and taking in empty stuff all day long, just hoping it will bring us prosperity, just hoping it will deliver us. We need to be reminded NOT to do this.
Three verses later, Samuel tells the people—and us—what we should be doing instead, “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart.” 1 Samuel 12:24.
Is It Okay To Worry?
In order to spend more time on other writing and editing projects, I’ve had to be absent from my blog for a few months. However, yesterday, after being convicted about my tendency to worry, I decided to take the time and share a few reflections about God’s command to live a worry-free life.
It’s true. God instructs his followers to be free from worry and anxiety. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.” Even though it’s worded a little differently each time, this command appears in all of the gospels. “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27.
Paul also teaches the worry-free life in his letters. “Do not be anxious about anything . . .” Philippians 4:6. The command itself is pretty clear, and, unlike some commands in Scripture, how to deal with worry is equally straightforward. Paul continues in Philippians 4:7, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Not surprisingly, Peter echoes Paul’s solution to worry in 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves . . . casting all your anxieties upon him, for he cares for you.” The writer of Hebrews says we can be sure of his help when we are troubled. He writes, “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear . . .” Hebrews 13:6.
By bringing our worries and cares to the Lord, we are rewarded with the strength and peace to deal with life’s inevitable anxieties. And, because God is always overflowing in his care for us, He promises to do this for us anew every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning . . .”
I Had To Do It
One day last week, I had to run away from home. It wasn’t—as some of you may be thinking—the result of having a retired husband at home all day. No, it was the roofers. Hundreds of them were on top of my house pounding away. Well, maybe there were only six, but it sounded like an army up there. It was Chinese water torture with sound. So, I left for a few hours.
I believe living in our modern culture with its massive information overload, constant communication and 24/7 news cycle can torture us just like the constant, irritating noise of six hammers beating out an irregular rhythm. Each of us needs a break from this daily onslaught.
So, how can we find a peaceful retreat?
The Bible gives the seeker of peace a definitive answer. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (ESV).
Retreat. Get away. Find time during the day to get your mind “stayed” on the Lord. Read His Word, pray, fellowship with Him and the hammering will stop..
Granny’s Garden Looks Good
One gorgeous spring day, my grandson and I were in my kitchen having a conversation about the nice weather. I pointed out to him that I had already put my patio furniture outside, and we would soon be able to plant a beautiful flower garden. He looked out the window at my weed-infested flowerbeds and replied, “But, Granny, your garden already looks good.”
In his eyes, the purple flowers produced by the weeds made a good-looking garden. While his assessment was delightful to me, I knew it was flawed because, having seen exquisite flowerbeds before, I recognized that, in its current state, mine was very ugly.
My grandson’s perception of what constituted a good-looking garden was skewed because his standards were minimal and based on limited knowledge. This same principle can be applied to an individual or a society when the perception of what is good or evil is based solely, or in part, on the thoughts, practices, and writings of fallen man and not on the standard supplied to us by God in His Word.
I believe my grandson will adopt a more stringent requirement for what constitutes a beautiful garden if he’s exposed to lovely flowers. In the same way, the more time we spend reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word, the more our moral standards will be aligned with the standards God requires of us–made possible to all believers by His Spirit living within us.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16.
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His Glory My Joy, a blog of Author Luana Ehrlich 
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