The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Heavenly Father, Sovereign God, we come into Your presence with awe and reverence. You are He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is [Your] name (Amos 4:13).
In Your perfect love and wisdom, You have given us everything we need to see, and know, and understand that You are God. You made us—You know how we are formed—fearfully and wonderfully, in Your image—but with human capacity and human limitations. In Your mercy, You have revealed the things that belong to us, so that we may follow You (Deuteronomy 29:29).
You have revealed Yourself in creation: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
You have revealed Yourself in nature: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19:1-4).
You have revealed Yourself in Your Son, who came to earth to live among us, Emmanuel, God with us: No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known (John 1:18).
Father, thank You for Your mercy and Your kindness! You showed us in Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus that You are understanding when we question (John 3: 1-21). You showed us in the struggles of Thomas that You are patient when we doubt (John 20:24-29).
But O Lord, please tear down the foolish rebellion that demands to know the secret things [that] belong to the Lord our God. Tear down the pride that contends with the Almighty (Job 40:2). Tear down the stubbornness that refuses to acknowledge Your authority. Tear down the arrogance that dictates exactly how You should reveal Yourself (1 Corinthians 1:22). Tear down the unbelief that disdains the evidence of Your power (Matthew 11:21).
You alone are God, and You alone are infinite in wisdom, in power, in knowledge. Give us hearts like David, ready to bow in humility before Your Sovereignty, recognizing that "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain" (Psalm 139:6)
Search us, and reveal the motivations of our heart. Let us not be among those of whom Jesus said, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed" (John 3:19-20).
Open our eyes to see You in Your majesty, in Your sovereignty, in Your power. Teach us to rest in Your goodness and Your grace, secure in Your love—our attitude one of total abandonment to Your care:
"My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content" (Psalm 131:1-2).
Comments