How Hungry are You?

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2

God is so good. So good in that He meets each person; right where they are. When Jesus met the religious leader Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus knew that he was talking to a well read theologian, trained in the Torah. Jesus met him with a theological deep truth; “you must be born again”. That blew Nicodemus’ theological mind! Jesus knew where Nicodemus was. But how great that when Jesus met the woman at the well in the next chapter he met her, not where Nicodemus was, but where she was. Jesus knew her entire life story, he knew that she had little knowledge of the Torah, theology or the likes. Jesus knew that this woman had scars and voids in her life as she jumped from marriage to marriage; bed to bed. He met her where she was, her world, her life with a simple question there at the well; “can I have a drink of water”. God is so good to meet each of us where we are.

To the young believer; the babe in Christ, Jesus is so quick to give revelation; like a child looking for Easter eggs. He wants that young believer to discover him; know him. So many verses in the scripture are about seeking his face, knowing him (Jeremiah 9:23,24, Philippians 3:10, Psalm 27:7). The Father wants us all to come after Him, seek Him, to know Him. To the young in Christ He reveals Himself for where they are. It is like watching a parent playing peek a boo with their child. God doesn’t want to hide from them as much as He wants to be found by them. But as we grow deeper in Christ, we need to go after the deeper things of God. In our early new birth there seems to be low hanging fruit at every turn. God is so gracious to meet us where we are. When Paul spoke to younger believers he said, "Be imitators of me". He knew they needed to see a flesh and bone example living out the ways of God. But to the more mature Paul would write; "Be imitators of God". Those believers needed to move from looking at a man, to looking straight to and for God. So look at this verse:

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter". In other words; God doesn't need to consult with us over anything. As though God needed insight and especially from us! He can hold all matters close to his chest and doesn’t need council. That is to His glory that being an all knowing God he doesn’t need our insight and certainly not our permission on any matter. I chuckle in a painful time when Job was thinking he had it all figured out and was calling out to God for a response. God does respond:

Where were you when I laid the earths’s foundation? Tell, me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Job 38:4,5

I am so glad that I have a God bigger than me, otherwise, what kind of God would He be? And He certainly doesn’t need my insight, but how many times do I feel like He doesn’t understand my full situation and thus I need to fill Him in?

God doesn’t need my permission, insight or opinion. But then the verse goes on to say:

“…to search out a matter is the glory of kings”.

Why would God hide matters from us? Are we not sons and daughters of God? We are no longer slaves but friends of God? Are we not co-labors with Him? Then why the concealing of matters?

How hungry are you? In your prayer request for insight on a matter, your desire to know God’s way on something; how serious are you? How much do you really want to know?

We are all familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope”. We love that verse, put it on a tattoo and t-shirt; I love it! But have you ever ventured down to the next couple of verses afterwards? Because verse 13 will say;

You seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

There is a huge difference between my young nephew hunting Easter eggs and my mother in law doing the Dallas Morning news crossword puzzle. One is designed for the young, the other for the mature.

How hungry are you? How bad do you want to hear from God? Would you fast? How bad do you want to know the deeper things of God? They aren’t for the babes in Christ, they are for those maturing.

I was reading an article about people who look for gold. I am sure that there are those not really sure about it, not invested, they might look at a running stream, pick up a few rocks and examine them. Maybe you are a little more hungry; you bought a dish for panning gold. You read a few articles and found where gold flecks have been located; or maybe this isn’t a hobby, you’re all in. You have researched maps and read findings, you have purchased equipment and plan on camping out or even building a house next to that stream. How hungry are you?

The truth is; there are treasures out there; insight from the hand of God, wisdom, answers; all out there.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

How Hungry are You?

Thoughts on Proverbs 25:2

Why Am I in this Holding Pattern?

A fish swallowing a man? What is the purpose of that God? It’s simply this; I need you in an environment to hear from me and think clearly, because there is more.

We live in such a busy world, such a noisy place. We have screens all over, there is always a TV on somewhere. It seems like we have to have some type of noise going on at all times; back ground noise, we even have Christian noise! I think that there is there a reason that God said “be still, (quiet) and know that I am God”? Something powerful happens in quiet, that is why I love being in nature. But lets talk about this Jonah guy, who is swallowed by a fish that God prepared for him. The book of Jonah tells the account of a prophet who received his marching orders from God. Jonah did like what he heard from God so he literally attempted to run away from God (Read Psalm 139, then this will seem funny). In running from God Jonah jumped on a ship going the opposite direction God was telling him to go. A storm comes up, the people on the boat realize Jonah is the issue and they throw him overboard. God brings a big fish to swallow Jonah whole. No the man running from his God is in the belly of a fish. What was taking place inside of that fish? The simple truth is that he was in an environment to be still and think things out. The Bible says that he was in the fish for three days and three nights. I am sure that the first 3-6 hours in the belly of that fish, he fought it. He fought to get out, he fought to change that environment. I am sure at first he questioned God, fought with God, justified with God; “I just want this to be over”. Been there? Sure you have. All of us have. Whether it is a dessert, a wilderness, a holding pattern, you are not sure what is going on and really you just want it to be over! But can I whisper this in your ear? Chill, you are here for a reason and God is in control.

God creates seasons and environments for us to shut up, shut off and ponder on life. In chapter 2 of Jonah, Jonah finally began to pray to God. Not just; “Get me out of here”; but deeper. Scripture that was in him began to rise up. Promises from God began to come back into his mind. He realized he was there by his choices and the hand of God, so he went to God. In Jonah’s case; this fish, dessert, waste land was a place for him to get things right with God before he could go forward.

The confinement in the fish hosted an alignment with God.

And when that time is over; the Scripture says that God had the fish vomit Jonah on the land.
I don’t want to be gross, but when you’re about to throw up; your body may contract, your mouth starts watering; and when you throw up, it’s violent, it’s suddenly! And that’s exactly what happened to Jonah. When Jonah got into the alignment where he needed to be with God, it was time! And suddenly; that fish vomited Jonah up on the land. The exact place where God had first called Jonah to.

Jonah's environment changed, it needed to change. When you throw up there is something in you that needs to change its environment. It no longer needs to be In you, it needs to be in a new environment. Jonah was at the place that his environment needed to change. What needed to happen in the fish had taken place, he was now ready for what God was calling him to.

There needed to be a changing of his environment to fulfill his assignment.

So if you’re in a place right now; in the desert, in the fire, in the belly of the fish. You are in that environment for a season and a reason. Rejoice in that! But ask God to show you everything He can while you’re in the belly of that fish. Because then; your environment will change.