Intro: Today's devotion looks at a passage from Proverbs: searching for hidden treasure.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Observation:
According to the author of Proverbs, because God is glorious, He has hidden things and yet it is to the glory for kings to search out those hidden things.
This passage reminds me of adventurers like Indiana Jones, Allan Quatermain, and Lara Croft. They would travel the globe looking for impossible-to-find treasures. Indiana Jones searched for the lost Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. Allan Quatermain searched for King Solomon's mines. Lara Croft searched for the hidden cradle of life. Why do these fictional characters and their quest for lost treasure spark my imagination?
I may not be a king, but Peter writes that, as a believer in Christ, I am part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
In Numbers 12:8, God reveals that He has spoken to Moses "mouth to mouth...and not in dark sayings." The phrase "dark sayings" can be translated as riddles. In other words, hidden things. But it is possible to be a friend to God, like Moses was, and to understand, know and search out the hidden things.
In Matthew 13:10-11, Jesus' disciples ask Him why He speaks in parables. He responds that for them, the mysteries of the Kingdom have been made known. Parables are sometimes defined as "riddles" or "hidden things" and the word "mysteries" implies that which is "not yet known" - aka, hidden. Therefore, as a follower of Christ, I am invited to search out and know, that which God has hidden.
This passage reminds me of adventurers like Indiana Jones, Allan Quatermain, and Lara Croft. They would travel the globe looking for impossible-to-find treasures. Indiana Jones searched for the lost Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. Allan Quatermain searched for King Solomon's mines. Lara Croft searched for the hidden cradle of life. Why do these fictional characters and their quest for lost treasure spark my imagination?
I may not be a king, but Peter writes that, as a believer in Christ, I am part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
In Numbers 12:8, God reveals that He has spoken to Moses "mouth to mouth...and not in dark sayings." The phrase "dark sayings" can be translated as riddles. In other words, hidden things. But it is possible to be a friend to God, like Moses was, and to understand, know and search out the hidden things.
In Matthew 13:10-11, Jesus' disciples ask Him why He speaks in parables. He responds that for them, the mysteries of the Kingdom have been made known. Parables are sometimes defined as "riddles" or "hidden things" and the word "mysteries" implies that which is "not yet known" - aka, hidden. Therefore, as a follower of Christ, I am invited to search out and know, that which God has hidden.
Application:
As I read my Bible, as I pray and converse with God, as I serve Him in this world, it is His glory to hide things for me and it is my glory to search them out. Knowing that He has hidden things for me to search out - mysteries to explore, riddles to solve, puzzles to enjoy - the revelation that I experience glorifies Him even more. There may be mysteries of God that I'll never understand this side of heaven, but it doesn't mean I should stop searching for that which was hidden.
Every day I wake up on this Earth is a day that I can have another adventure with Him. I can search out what He has hidden for me to find. It is like my Heavenly Father wants to play hide-n-seek with me.
Every day I wake up on this Earth is a day that I can have another adventure with Him. I can search out what He has hidden for me to find. It is like my Heavenly Father wants to play hide-n-seek with me.
Prayer:
Papa,You are awesome that you love me. You are a loving Father that has hidden things to your glory. Show me what I need to search out this day. Give me the strength and courage to find that which You've hidden. Let my searching and finding, glorify you, Father.Amen.
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