“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”
1 Corinthians 2:10-12
I’ve always loved a good mystery! Whether it’s a good whodunit, dissecting a problem, or just trying to figure out how something works, my brain is always trying to unravel the conundrums.
I remember when I was a kid, I tried to solve the mystery of how my radio worked. I took it apart and put it back together. Although, I never did figure out exactly what made all those wires, transformers, and capacitors work together to create sound, the challenge of the quest brought a bit of satisfaction.
And the mystery of flying in an airplane? That one still stumps me. I know there is all the scientific junk that keeps it in the air, but when it’s all said and done, getting on that plane is nothing but trust in something I don’t understand.
Most recently, is the mystery of a disease that took the mind of my Dad. And the mystery of the day that he took his last breath. I so wished he could have told me what he was seeing, what he was feeling, and what he was experiencing. I had watched the spiritual enigmas build for several weeks, but when his last bit of life was released to the angels, there was nothing but peace. Sorrow yes, for the loss of his amazing life. But a peace that passes all understanding was the climax of the day. A mysterious, but wonderful peace that I can’t explain or begin to figure out.
Jesus assures us in John 20:29, that those who believe without seeing are blessed. And I can assure you that I was blessed that day even though I couldn’t see the secret activity taking place.
In fact, I’ve been blessed many times by NOT understanding the full mysteries of God. Just as when I get in an airplane believing and trusting that I’m going to land in a different place, I’ve learned to believe and trust that the Lord is carrying me where ever I need to go. He’s not going to crash or run out of gas. He is the only reliable way to the truth – even when I don’t understand the how’s or the why’s. He has always blessed me with insight when I trust Him and allow Him to teach me along the way.
It’s hard though to believe in something we can’t see, isn’t’ it? Because inquiring minds want to know! We want to rely on our own intelligence, wisdom, and logic. But the mysteries of God are beyond human sight or logical understanding. David reminds us in Psalm 139:6 that “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain”.
Although, we can begin to gain understanding when we accept “God’s greatest mystery, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
I can testify personally to this: there is no understanding the secrets of God apart from a personal relationship with His Son. Jesus is the “mystery” revealed to those who believe, and when we believe in Him, our mysteries of faith begin to fall into place. The power of His Spirit holds all the answers. And the satisfaction of not knowing comes through the One in whom we believe.
It wasn’t until I quit dissecting my questions and began to spend time with Jesus that I realized that I’d never figure it out on my own. The mysteries of the Divine really are too wonderful for my tiny analytical mind to understand.
I’ve also learned to realize the value of patience. His mysteries are worth waiting for. They will not all be revealed at once. But when we accept what God has chosen to keep hidden, and cherish the things God has already revealed, we can live with a peaceful assurance that God is at work while we look forward to what is yet to be made known. “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him”” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Saturday Soul Search
PS…This picture was taken the day before my Daddy passed away while I was on my way home from Colorado to be with him. I think the heavens were opening to welcome him home.
