A light cannot be hidden

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? (John 3:1-2, 11-12)

As we might already be aware, just being a part of a religious movement doesn't make us right with God. Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader, and he still didn't recognize the Messiah when he was in his own hometown. As a matter of fact, he was so 'intimidated' by what the other leaders might think, or what his fellow townsfolk might believe about him, that he came to Jesus under the cover of nightfall. He was curious, drawn by something he wasn't sure about, but wasn't willing to be 'outed' for his curiosity to those he worked and lived with each day. We might be afraid to admit we are 'curious' about Jesus, but even if we come under the 'cover of night' into his presence, we can be assured he will reveal himself and his purpose, and his grace will fill our lives. 

The thing we may not realize about Nicodemus is that he somehow managed to have this moment with Jesus, probably asking questions, seeking clarity because he was beginning to see something in Jesus that made him think he was no 'ordinary guy'. Jesus was very kind to him - taking time to speak with him, letting him ask questions, and probably even 'challenging' his beliefs a bit. Jesus is always willing to help us with our 'questions' - to help us move beyond any point of unbelief into a place of committed faith. We know something happened for Nicodemus that night that began to cement his faith because he was willing to openly stand up before his group of colleagues later on when Jesus was being badgered and criticized by his fellow religious leaders. We also know he provided the 'burial spices' for Jesus - something that would have cost him not only financially but would have opened him up to ridicule by his fellow leaders. 

When Jesus begins to 'cement' the truth about who he is and what he is about to do in our lives, we might just find that we are willing to 'stand up' - becoming 'open' about our beliefs where we might have been a little too intimidated to stand boldly before. I think God gives us truth - brings us into places of understanding - not so much so we can 'cement' it in our minds and hearts, but so we can stand up and stand boldly within that truth. We might seek his truth and wisdom under the 'cover of darkness', but Jesus reminds all of us that a light cannot be hidden. When truth is given, it is meant to become a beacon that draws others toward that truth. Just sayin!

Not feeling it?

Albert Pike reminds us, "We have all the light we need - we just need to put it into practice." There are times we already know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it, but we just stand still, not doing anything. Why is that? It could be we just don't 'feel' it at the moment - causing just a bit of a delay or lag in our 'obedience' response. We have 'light', but light is meant to reveal and reflect. We must remember all steps toward God are good, but when light is given, it is meant to illuminate the steps we are to take - God provides 'plenty of light to live in' both now and in the future.

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” The Pharisees objected, “All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on.” Jesus replied, “You’re right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I’ve come from and where I go next. You don’t know where I’m from or where I’m headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don’t make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn’t make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God’s Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me.” (John 8:12-18)

God's Word acts as a guide for our steps, but when all we do is 'take it in', we are seriously misusing a very important tool God left for us. His Word isn't just 'nice' to read, making us feel good now and again, but it is meant to be used to help us stay motivated, know where we need change, and what actions we need to take both today and in the future. The religious leaders of Jesus' day didn't understand that he spoke the Words of his Father - so they weren't going to embrace them. After all this time, all the evidence of miracle after miracle, and no evidence to the contrary, they still balked at accepting him as the Messiah. They still found it hard to believe he was the one sent from God himself.

We might find it hard to be in God's Word some days, but if we neglect this resource, we can become as narrow-minded and 'religious' as the leaders of Jesus' day. They studied the Law of Moses, the Torah, and the prophets, but they still missed the coming of their deliverer. All the study in the world doesn't do much good if the light we possess is merely 'saved up' and not used. Light is given to illuminate - illumination brings direction - direction is given to get us safely from one place to another. As Jesus said, "You can depend on it being true." His Word will give us direction - we just need to count on it being true and then walking in it to the best of our ability. The next time we aren't 'feeling it', we might just want to challenge ourselves to stop relying upon our feelings so much, and just walk in the light we are given! Just sayin!

What evil lurks in them there shadows?

Every now and again, I will purposefully use 'bad grammar' just because I am trying to get a point
across - usually to show my genuine openness to an idea, or because I am just being a little silly. If you ever hear me tell my BFF that I just 'got schooled' in something, or 'learned me a new thing', it is just a way of letting her know I know something today I didn't know before. It may be seriously important information, or it could just be something that peaked my curiosity. I can be heard saying, "Hey, let's Google that", meaning that I want to understand the meaning of a word, figure out where something originated, or what something looks like. Yesterday, it was an herb used in traditional Mexican dishes, while a week ago it may have been why lady bugs are always called lady bugs and not man bugs! Being interested in learning is a very good thing, my friends, especially when the 'thing learned' helps us to grow stronger in Christ, more loving or caring in our actions, or to just plain 'grow up'.

Show me how you work, God; school me in your ways.Take me by the hand; lead me down the path of truth. (Psalm 25:4-5)

There is nothing that God delights in more than hearing his child ask than to be schooled in HIS ways. When I was in school, one of the things my teachers soon learned about me was that I was a visual learner - if I could see it, I grasped the truth much quicker than if it was something more ethereal. I am a "show me" kind of person - not that I always need to see it, but I make a different connection to it when I do. When I was a kid, I took things apart - just to see how they were made. I would dissect a flower to see the various "pieces" - learning that stem, petal, and leaf all had their own function, somehow fit together, and when together they formed a pretty amazing thing of beauty.

God NEVER turns away a person who comes to him with a "show me" or "school me" desire. In fact, he uses that for his glory. There are two different things we can ask God for, as our scripture points out - things that just delight him to no end. One is to be shown how God works - the other is to understand God's ways (his plans). When we understand God's plans, it may be easier to see how he works. When I took apart the flower, it was not because I wanted to destroy the flower. In fact, I wanted to understand how life was accomplished in that flower - how did it gain the nutrients it needed to grow. When we come to God with a heart open to understand what he plans for his children, we are also asking him to show us how it is that we will "grow into" those plans.

God's "ways" are those things that add discipline and order to our life - they create a framework for how we are to live, act, and react. His "work" is what gives our lives blessing and satisfaction - meaning and purpose. His ways add structure, while his work in our life brings revelation and reward. As God to "show" you and "school" you - it is by being "hand-led" down the path with God that we both are shown and schooled. I have found myself coming into a dark house at night, groping around in the darkness for a light switch, avoiding the sharp edges of end tables, seeing shadows and wondering if there was any evil lurking there. It is a little scary to "be in the dark" groping for the light, constantly unaware of what is there. God knows the facts about our spiritual, emotional, and thought life - both those we allow out into the light and those that are hidden away in darkness. We all have times when we are "groping around in the dark" hoping to find some "light" to give us direction in life. His delight is in being that light for us! When I am "hand-led" through dark places, I don't fear the "sharp edges" or even the potential evil lurking in the shadows! I know that someone who already knows the way has me in his hand. Just sayin!

Here, God? There, God? Where, God?

I will the first to admit that I don't always heed the revelation I have at my disposal. I know the benefits of following some course of action, but choose something completely different. I don't always see the results I wanted, though. That change in plans didn't get the same results because it wasn't the best course of action for me to take in the first place. We all want to know what comes next in life, don't we? We'd rather have 'more information' at the start of a matter because if we were totally aware of the outcome ahead of time, we'd just launch right in. Sometimes we only get hints of what is to come - not an entire disclosure! When we only get hints, we are required to operate in some element of faith by taking that course. This is where we struggle - faith isn't our strongest course of action, but it is the necessary one!

If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18 MSG)

Revelation provides that something once otherwise or previously hidden from our perception becomes known - if even in the smallest way. It is common to say that we don't know what God is doing, but that we will just trust him with the outcome. While this sentiment is certainly commendable, we fail to admit just how much we are struggling with "not knowing" what God is doing and we are operating more on sentiment than on faith! We find ourselves stumbling around in the dark and hoping that we are going to come into a place of light sometime soon - maybe, just maybe, we will get a little more of the 'revelation pie' if we just head out in the direction ahead of us. This is not the way God wants to have us proceeding through life. He wants to give us opportunities for disclosure - times when he brings us into the knowledge of what he is about to do.

God brings revelation during times of specific communion - times of communication. For communication to be effective, it must be two-way. Much of our communication with God is simply one-way....we pray and expect him to listen, answer, and reveal - forgetting that God is looking for the opportunity to speak into our lives, as well. There are times when God may be asking us to do the listening, giving him an answer, and revealing to him things we are struggling with or trying to deal with in our own effort or power. God's hope is that true communication will occur - genuine exchange of the 'two-way' type. There is something powerful in "good" communication - it cements relationship, building strong foundations. When we are brought to a place where vision is created, there is an internal igniting of passion to pursue what we are now beginning to see just a little more clearly. A good leader will first create the vision around what he is desiring to accomplish, then will assist those around him to lay hold of that vision, its possibilities, and its challenges. Together, they tackle the challenges - through the innovation of the whole, there is an ability to overcome what challenges the one. I think we could all agree that God is a pretty awesome leader - if we'd just allow him to lead!

Without revelation (disclosure, communication, and inspiration), there is nothing to restrain us from taking one course of action over another. We are aimless and aimless people accomplish absolutely random things. There is no order to what is created - it is up to chance. Good may come out of this type of random effort, but it is certainly not as good as if we understood what we were doing, its purpose, and how it fits into a bigger plan. Attending to what God discloses is the key to purposeful action and movement in life. Our challenges are nothing to God! The storms of life are of little concern to him because he controls them all! Where there is revelation, there is the ability to navigate safely - nothing really offers immovable barriers when we are walking with God. God isn't asking for us to just pick through life's challenges a little step here or there, but dance through them - on his arm! Have you stopped long enough today to seek some revelation (disclosure, communication, and inspiration) from the one who knows where the next step you take really should be? Just askin!

Dig in

There are times when we slip back into our old way of operating in life even after revelation has come - when God has showed us what could even be an exact opposite way of operating, but where we choose to do it our own way instead. This is usually because we do not apply ourselves to what has been revealed to us. We "void" the revelation by not trusting in it, not being obedient to it, or simply just not fully receiving it in the first place. A revealed truth is great, but it is really not valuable until we use the truth which has been revealed. For example, I can receive the revelation that clipping coupons can save you thousands of dollars each year at the grocery store, but until I begin clipping and redeeming these coupons, the truth isn't really something I allow to impact my life. The truth about coupon clipping is still very real - the influence it has on my life is just not there yet. Truth has to be used to be of value to us.

God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

God never really asks much of us when it comes to revealing himself to us. He simply ask for us to be willing to change - maybe the hardest task for any of us to really embrace. This encompasses the idea of being willing to present ourselves to him, allowing him to point out where change is needed, and then allowing him to ignite that change within. Along the way, he gives us all we need to accomplish that change - we simply need to remain in the place of obedience - of openness to using the truth he is revealing. Something happens when we present ourselves to God - in total commitment. We are placing our "self-made" or "self-directed" life on the altar and then we back away from the altar. Too many times, we stick around the altar hoping to rescue some part of "self" back - like rescuing a photo from a fire. God only affects what we give him complete access to - if we give him total access, he will accomplish the purpose of the altar - the picture will take on a new form.

The outcome of the altar is determined by whose hands are handling the sacrifice - if our hands are all over the sacrifice, never allowing God's hands to take control, the evidence of the altar will be limited to our abilities. If God's hands are on the sacrifice of that self-life - we can depend on never being the same again - the picture of our life begins to steadily change until the former life is really not seen any longer. Life in our own hands is a series of disasters, at best. Life in the hands of God is victory, glory, and a thing of honor. Some of us depend on "good philosophy" more than we depend on the Word of God - especially as it applies to placing ourselves on the altar. Generally, a philosophy is the sum total of what you know - what is important to you. We can go through life depending on the philosophy of life we have developed. This will always leave us short of a full revelation of truth - we have only trusted in some facts that are part of the truth revealed, but we don't embrace all the facts we need to make trustworthy decisions with our lives.

Truth must be revealed - but it must also be applied if it is to affect any change in our lives. If we are faithful to apply the revelation of truth that God gives to us, we will find God rewarding that loyalty time and time again. Sometimes we make the revelation of God's truth so complicated - thinking it could not be simple, easily understood, or practical at all. Despite our opinion of the revelation of God's truth, it is usually quite practical - God does not thrive on complicating our lives! One closing thought - revelation without application of what is revealed is meaningless. Christianity is not for the weak-willed. It takes some work on our part (paying attention, listening obediently, responding faithfully). God is on the lookout for the one who is committed to him in this way. In turn, he has a greater revelation of himself than we ever imagined. Dig in and see what God has for you at the altar today. Just diggin!

Paint anyone?

It is an act of seeing which allows us to perceive many times.  We could become alert to something happening through our other senses of hearing, touch, or smell, but seeing is what often "connects the dots" for us.  Some call this being a "visual learner" - we can read all about it, but once we see it done a couple of times, we've got it!  Without seeing, we just don't have the same perception, do we?  Yet, it is possible to "bypass" this element of perception - functioning pretty well, as a matter of fact - but...we miss out on the splendor of color, the mystery of the twinkle in someone's eye, and the awing wonder of following the trail of a jet high up in the sky.  We function, but we don't "get the full picture" when our seeing is not connected to our perceiving.

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18 MSG)

Seeing what God is doing is sometimes one of the hardest things to really comprehend.  We often miss his subtle moves simply because we aren't tuned into him as well as we should be.  I used to watch this guy on TV when I was a kid - his name was Bob Ross.  His show was called The Joy of Painting. He could take a pile of oil or acrylic paints and turn them into landscapes in something like 20-30 minutes.  He'd use knives, detail brushes, but what amazed me most was his use of the traditional "house painting" size brushes! He'd just barely touch the large brush to the paint, then he'd stipple it onto the landscape, giving the sense of tree leaves, wildflowers, or some other detail within the work of art.  Some might think his "art" was a little too "easy" because he learned these short-cuts to creating a really unique work of art, but in actuality, he learned them because his time to paint was limited at first - he had to take advantage of the time he had and get the work finished so he could sell it.

I never actually learned to paint like Mr. Ross, though.  I watched him over and over again, fascinated by how his mind could take a blank canvas and create a finished piece of artwork which resembled the mountains of Alaska, the fields filled with wildflowers, or densely wooded forested adorned with a fresh coat of fallen snow.  Although I was exposed to his work, understood his techniques, and had many of the same "tools" to use as he did, I never put paint to canvas.  Why?  I didn't "attend to" the secrets he revealed.  In other words, I didn't put them into practice.  This is often how we miss out on so much God would like to involve us in - we simply don't put into practice what it is he provides in the way of instruction or insight for our lives.

So, although seeing is part of perception, it is not the end-all.  We have to see and then "attend to" what he reveals.  When we "attend to" something, we are taking it to heart.  We keep it in the forefront of our minds, allowing the very thought of what has been revealed to permeate our every thought. In a simpler sense, it means we give service to - we invest in, spend time with. So many times we miss the fullness of perception because we "see", but we neglect the importance of "giving service to" what it is we perceive.  I know a lot of things about various people in my life - their likes, dislikes, what makes them laugh, what could make them cry, what words shut them down, what words build them up.  How did I learn these things?  By paying attention to them.  Now, how foolish would it be to know all these things and then ignore each and every one of them?  

God's place of impacting our lives is at the point of our attentiveness to the details he reveals.  Plain and simple - revelation is one thing - action taken upon what is revealed is quite another.  If we find ourselves "stumbling around" a little in this daily walk, it might just be related to not having "put into practice" what it is we already have been taught.  We are all blank canvases - God knowing exactly what he desires to bring forth on the canvas of our lives.  He gives us various tools, shows us the steps to follow to allow the creation of his "artwork" in our lives, but if we never pick up the brush and apply a little paint, we will still be blank canvases when it is all said and done!  Just sayin!

Bringing God into the Picture

Disciple:  A pupil; one who is in a place of learning.  To this end, we can all admit we are disciples - in a place of learning.  As Jesus faced his disciples day after day, his main purpose was to help them learn what it meant to have the Kingdom of God in their midst - the presence of God dwelling among them.  Isn't this the purpose of all our tests and trials - to get us to the place we understand we have the presence of God within us at all times?  Disciples have sever unique characteristics, but I think the one which becomes most evident is the awareness of the presence of God - the Teacher, instructing those who remain in a place of willing submission to his teaching.

Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.  (Luke 14:33 MSG)

A disciple doesn't concern themselves with the "what can I do" mentality in life.  Instead, they make the shift from the "what can I do" to the "what will Jesus do in and through me" if I yield to him right now.  What a disciple does well is to bring God into the picture.  The disciples who traveled with Christ day after day had a purpose - they went ahead to get a place ready, to find the meals, to prepare a meeting spot, etc.  They were preparing the way for God to be "brought into the picture" for those out ahead of them.  Even when they didn't do a good job of preparing, they still had an active role in bringing God into picture - such as when they were told to see how much food they could scrounge up to feed the 5,000.  There role was to get the loaves and fish - preparing the way for God to be brought into the picture for those who sat on the hillside hungry and worn.

Maybe one of the things which keeps us from being a disciple - one willing to be taught at the feet of the Teacher - is our fear of the adventure.  All of life is an adventure, but not all in life are adventurers!  Adventurers are willing to get out of their comfort zone - to enter a new realm.  My grandson is an adventurer - a creator of sorts.  He often wants to go and do what others haven't done before - maybe because he is spurred on by the survivalist shows he watches, but most likely because he has this creative and always learning mind.  One thing I noticed about him - he is always looking for the possibilities.  He doesn't limit himself by the impossible - but is always looking for the way around, through, or over the impossible.  I think God honors that kind of heart in each of his disciples - willing to move beyond the impossible into the realm of possibility.  

Disciples don't always have an explanation for what it is they learn at the feet of the Teacher.  There are just some things of God's grace, wisdom, and majesty we can only reflect, but will never fully understand.  Sometimes this is all God asks of his disciples - the willingness to reflect him, even when we don't understand all we are reflecting.  It is the things we sometimes don't understand which have the greatest impact in the lives of those touched by them.  God is busy behind the scenes creating things greater than we will ever be able to take credit for - simply because he is using us to bring him into the picture of those within our circle.

Probably the most telling characteristic of a disciple is the abandoning of all other alternatives to follow the Teacher - to listen to his voice, obey his teachings, and to see his glory displayed in our midst.  In other words, we allow a shift of priorities to occur so what once consumed so much of our focus begins to be abandoned - laid aside - for the magnificence of what Christ does when he is brought into our present.  For most, abandonment is kind of a scary concept.  It means the leaving of something we often consider to be quite secure and comfortable in order to embrace something with seemingly less comfort, and therefore, the perception of it also being less secure.  When I get on a plane, I am abandoning my need to remain in contact with the earth - placing my trust in the pilot to successfully bring me from point A to B.  I abandon my control because one who knows better than I how to operate the plane is at the controls.  All the Teacher asks of the disciple is to be willing to abandon themselves in similar manner - knowing the control is best left in his hands.

Sure, the disciple is asked to participate in the revelation of the Teacher.  We do this best when we reflect his actions - things like grace, purpose, and love. What we have the power of bringing into the midst of any situation is the connection of the pupil with the Teacher - to open the way for God to come on the scene.  Maybe if we'd abandon ourselves to this purpose today, we'd see what God might just reveal when we do!  Just sayin!

Clutter got you?

PAY ATTENTION:  Did you ever stop to consider these two words in that order? First, to "pay" means you give something over in order to obtain something different.  It has the idea of "transfer".  "Attention" has the idea of directing one's mind toward something.  So the "transfer" here is one of "mind space" - we are giving our "mind space" to another in order to have what it is they will "fill" that space with.  At first that may not seem like much, but if we do this enough, we become filled with the right stuff.  If we yield our "mind space" to the wrong stuff - that which is very limiting in its focus and which really has no lasting benefit for us - we find our minds become "cluttered" rather than more "ordered".  Maybe this is why God adds the next words - listen to me.  The idea of giving one's mind space over to God in order for him to fill it involves some willingness on our parts to make the exchange, but it also requires us to sort out some of the stuff occupying space today which only adds to the clutter!  If you have ever had a garage or yard sale, you understand this concept.  What probably precipitated the "sale" was the idea of space being cluttered!  You got to the point of being fed up with the clutter and just wanted to get it out of the way.  Instead of just letting it go, you hold the sale.  Why?  It is stuff we got attached to - it had some value to us - and probably still does.  So, we hope to get a little of that value back by selling it.  The problem with this is we don't get what it is we think the "value" really is!  I wonder if we do the same thing with God?  He gets us to the point where we recognize we have a whole lot of clutter in our minds and then we want to barter with him to have him "give us something of equal value" to replace it!  Silly us!  The value of clutter is really no longer "valuable" to us!

“Pay attention, my people.   Listen to me, nations.  Revelation flows from me.    My decisions light up the world. My deliverance arrives on the run, my salvation right on time.    I’ll bring justice to the peoples.  Even faraway islands will look to me and take hope in my saving power.  Look up at the skies, ponder the earth under your feet.  The skies will fade out like smoke,  the earth will wear out like work pants, and the people will die off like flies.  But my salvation will last forever, my setting-things-right will never be obsolete. (Isaiah 51:4-6 MSG)

Clutter is really a disorderly heap - another word for "litter".  Now, does that make you look at your "mind's clutter" a little differently?  It should, because nothing in your mind which is "litter" really has any further value.  Maybe this is why God tells us to let go of offenses - they are "litter" taking up space in the place where God wants to go about "transferring" something better for our enjoyment.  Perhaps this is why he tells us to get rid of gossip - because all the imagined stuff we create in our minds about another really keep us from seeing them as God sees them.  Could it be God wants us to get rid of the "litter" in our lives so he can fill the space with his grace, love, and mercy?  If grace was there, we probably wouldn't take offense so easily.  If love was there, we probably would guard against the words of gossip.  

Back to our passage.  God is really telling us to be willing to make the exchange of what it is which holds our focus today in order to have our focus for tomorrow expanded.  In other words, if I let go of what doesn't lend value today, I will be open to having something of superior value occupy the space once occupied by only the "litter" of my thoughts and memories.  He gives us some other hope here, too.  Let's explore:

-  Revelation flows from him.  Another word for revelation is disclosure.  What really happens with all that "litter" in our minds?  Isn't it something we rarely "disclose".  The opposite of disclosure is openness.  I don't know about you, but I want my mind to being open to his teaching, hearing what his voice has to speak, and being attentive to what it is he has to show me.  Revelation - disclosure - flows from him!  Isn't this good news.  Another word for revelation is exposure.  This probably scares us a little, but just as when we finally decide to clean out the garage of its "clutter", so it is with our minds and hearts.  There might just be some "exposure" of stuff we didn't even know we had kept around all that time!

-  God's purpose in revelation is not to do us in or set us to flight.  It is to set things in right order.  A few year's back, my mother was coming to live with me.  During the week's preceding the move, I spent time "decluttering" the various cabinets, closets, and spaces of my home.  Do you know how I felt when I had that project done?  Awesome!  Why?  Simply because all the remaining "stuff" mattered and it was in right order.  Guess what?  My cabinets and closets don't look that way after over four years of being together! It is time for a little "revelation" of the clutter again - in order to get rid of what we don't use and what takes up precious space.  Our minds are filled with stuff taking up precious space.  Isn't it good to spend some time on a regular basis going through the "space" to ensure it is clutter-free?

-  There is something about "paying attention" which never gets old when we are paying attention to the right stuff.  If you have ever just had the TV or radio on as "background noise" while you went about doing what it is you were otherwise engaged in, you know what I mean about paying attention to the right stuff.  You will be going along, then almost all of a sudden, something catches your attention.  You hear something of interest.  You have no idea how you got to the point of "paying attention" to this particular broadcast, but something "hooked" you.  All the other stuff was just "background" - the thing which caused you to sit up and take notice was the "information exchange" which occurs as a result of paying attention.  God's revelation is very similar - it never gets old, but we need to be available to receive it.  Just sayin!

Scope this one out!

Today, I want us to look at three different "scopes" - a telescope, a microscope, and a horoscope.  Each has a purpose in this world, unique in its revelation power.  Many scientists understand the purpose and function of the microscope - while the astronomer has a vast knowledge of the world of the telescope.  The man or woman without much hope, grasping for something by which to "predict" their day's outcome might turn to the horoscope.  I did a word search to find out how many words in the English language contain the word "scope".  I was surprised to find 108 words!  Some are for medical purposes, others for the discovery of movement, still others for the purpose of focusing on distance.  There are scopes to predict the presence of electrical current, to explore hidden spaces, or to predict the changes of temperature.  What became very evident is that mankind has developed a whole lot of ways of "discovering" stuff once hidden or not easily understood!

You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him.  (Colossians 2:9 MSG)

Paul tells the Colossian believers:  Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly.  God is "into" mankind getting to see and hear him clearly.  The image we have of God is made complete in beholding his Son - Jesus.  All of God is expressed in the life of Jesus - a living, breathing example of the one true God.  I think God knows we do better in our "discovery" of what was hidden when we "see" the something which was previously hidden.  What Paul goes on to say is we don't need the telescope, nor the microscope, and certainly not the horoscope to recognize the fullness of Christ and the utter emptiness of everything without him.

Let that one sink in a little.  As we look at the purpose of these three "instruments" of "revelation", maybe we will get to understand just how much Paul was saying.  First, the telescope.  The telescope is made for the eye.  It is an "optical" instrument.  With it, distant objects appear larger - and by appearing larger, they have an appearance of being "nearer" to us.  An astronomer will be quick to point out the two basic types of telescopes:  refracting and reflecting.  The refracting telescope has an eyepiece and a lens in a long tube of sorts.  It is the simplest form of telescopes - allowing us to view the object as nearer by adjusting the series of lenses to bring the object into focus.  The reflecting telescope is a little different because it has a mirror which gathers light from the object it is pointed toward.  As the lenses are adjusted the object's light being reflected allows the object to appear larger and ultimately nearer.  Paul says we don't need a telescope to understand God.  Why?  Maybe because the Son of God, made flesh, is able to do both the "refracting" and "reflecting" of God the Father, so we see him clearer and feel him nearer!   

The microscope is also an "optical" instrument - made again for the eye.  Paul uses two examples of "optical" instruments - why?  Maybe because the "discovery" of so much which was once hidden to us is made through the eyes.  There is much perception with the eyes!  What does the microscope allow us to do?  Isn't it for the purpose of discovering things way to small for us to see with our naked eye?  Without the combination of lenses, we could not see clearly what is before us.  Yet, it was through the "discovery" of these microscopic things humankind began to understand the mystery of things which actually harm us and keep us from developing as we should.  It is through the use of the microscope we find the cure for disease, the hope for a new life free of certain debilitating processes.  In considering this, I just have to wonder how many times looking at our life through the eyes of Jesus has brought us to the discovery of things we thought too insignificant to focus upon, but by which we were being slowly destroyed!  

The horoscope is really not a "scope".  Those into the "alignment of the planets" will use them to "predict" the outcome of some event, or the "predicting" of future events.  Now, don't for a moment believe that I am endorsing the practice of astrological predictions!  I don't read these and I know scripture clearly warns against putting belief into the "reading of the charts".  Here's what I know - God controls the planets, the stars, the moons. He "aligns" all as he orders.  Why would I need to study them when I have access to the one who created them all in the first place?  I can have the revelation of all things through him - I don't need a "predictor" of my future from some "chart"!  I have the predictor of my future in having invited Christ to be the Lord of my life!  I think Paul knows human nature is to seek answers wherever they "appear" to be available - but God gives us all the sources of answers we need in his Word, through his Holy Spirit, and in applying the teachings of both into our daily lives.

Now, the crux of the passage is this:  Everything else we use to "discover" hidden secrets, or the unknown, is empty compared to the "revelation" which comes directly from the one whose sole purpose is to both reflect and refract the light of heaven into our dark souls.  The "discovery" of Jesus - the Son of God made flesh - is the only "discovery tool" we really need!  Just sayin!

Target Practice?

Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I've even become smarter than my teachers since I've pondered and absorbed your counsel.  I've become wiser than the wise old sages simply by doing what you tell me. (Psalm 119:97-100 The Message)

Have you ever heard the saying, "He is wise beyond his years"?  When we say this, we are pointing out the person as "smarter" than they should be for their age.  In common thinking, wisdom is something that comes with age.  As an individual ages chronologically, the opportunity for multiple experiences have presented the added benefit of learning new things.  I think we can challenge this belief that aging equates to the development of wisdom.  I have known many an individual who has "aged" chronologically without really "learning" from their life experiences!

Our psalmist gives us insight into how wisdom is developed:

- There is a delight for what God reveals.  Delight carries not only the idea of something producing extreme pleasure for the bearer / hearer, but also the feelings of gratitude that are produced in the revelation.  There are some things in life I have wished someone never shared with me.  There are images I have beheld that I would rather erase from my memory.  David is describing just the opposite here - - he has found pleasure (enjoyment) in what God reveals.

- Wisdom is produced not so much in the revelation, but in the rehearsal of the revelation.  That is the concept of pondering.  The things revealed to him by God are turned over and over in his mind until his heart gets it!  Too many times we stop at the "revealing" of truth and then wonder why we just don't find any change as a result of what was revealed.  It is in the rehearsing of that revelation that we "learn" the truth.

- The most important thing along the journey is in having the way made clear.  Our psalmist gives us insight for the journey - - he goes nowhere without God's commands.  In other words, he keeps the truths he has been taught in the forefront of his mind.  When faced with choices, he relies on what God has said.  Catch that....he doesn't have to scour the scriptures right then to find an answer because he is familiar with how God expects him to live.  He knows God's commands because he has learned to rehearse them!

- He studies the "rules".  I recently overheard someone sharing the reasons people were attending a "traffic" class after having received tickets from the police for some moving violation with their automobiles.  The purpose of the class was to "train" the drivers to not commit the same violations.  Some of the individuals attending the class thought it was "foolish" and just plain "unfair" to get the moving violation they had received.  Their excuses went something like this:

     "I wasn't following that close!  I could stop on a dime!"

     "I don't see the big deal!  I didn't hurt anyone by driving that slow!"

     "I steer just as well with my knees as I do with my hands!"

Oh my!  Now doesn't this make us think a little?  We all have "excuses" for the things we do, don't we?  These folks weren't there to "study" the rules - - in fact, they don't even feel that the rules apply to them!  The fact is - - the "rules" DO apply!  There is benefit in learning the "rules" that keep us safe.  Wisdom that is not equated to "chronological years" is really a matter of studying the "rules" that keep us safe in the journey.

- Last, but certainly not least, we are presented with the idea of obedience.  Rules are fine, but apart from obedience to the rules, they are merely words on paper.  Those drivers in traffic school did not really believe the rules applied to them - - they devalued the rules.  We learn the value of rules in the obedient steps we take in keeping them!

Let this be the beginning of a year of "wisdom" for your journey.  Examine the "excuses" you have been making for the "rules" not applying in your life.  Look at the attitude you have been exhibiting toward the revelation of truth.  If you find that it has been nothing more than an "AH HA!" experience and then you move on, you might consider rehearsing that "AH HA!" until you really get it worked out into your heart.  Someone I love dearly calls these moments "God Shots".  It is kind of like God just hits the "bulls-eye" with some truth we hear.  You know, God can hit the target repeatedly, but if we keep moving the target, we really are doing nothing more than testing his skill as a marksman!

Spotlight on...Spotlight off

"I am the world's light.  No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness.  I provide plenty of light to live in."

(John 8:12 The Message)

Have you ever stumbled around in the darkness, stubbing your toe on something in your path that you knew perfectly well was there, but you just were "disoriented" by the darkness and ran into it anyway?  I think we might all have had that experience at least once in our lives.  With our toe throbbing, tears welling up in our eyes, and our original intention for being up in the dark lost in all the pain, we dance around and around bemoaning our pain.  Why were we walking in the dark anyway?  It is usually some silly reason, like we thought we could find our way without the light!  Ummm....how's that working for ya?

If there is one thing that I have come to conclude in my life thus far it is that I don't do so well stumbling around in the "dark" when it comes to the spiritual side of my life.  I may make every effort to live "right", being obedient as "well" as I can, but guess what...I get my spiritual "toes" stubbed a whole lot!  The problem about trying to make a "go" at obedience without God's help is pretty much like walking in the darkness when our path is riddled with all kinds of things that stand in our way of safe passage!  

Jesus made us a promise.  Plain and simple, it is that he PROVIDES light.  Not just "some" light, but PLENTY of light for us to live IN.  Okay, if you missed those emphasized words, let me hit them again.  It is his PROVISION of light that we have been given - we do nothing to "turn that light on" in our lives - it is already there.  We just have to use the light we are given to avoid the pitfalls that leave us hurting!  

It is MORE THAN ENOUGH light for the road we are on.  His light in our lives is not limited to just one area of our lives - it is like a floodlight that illuminates the entirety of our lives.  We often don't want that much "light" focused on us, so we try to hide some of the stuff in the corners hoping it won't be exposed to that light.  The fact is - light exposes.  We hit our toes a whole lot less when we allow that light free access into every area of our lives!

It is a light that we must LIVE IN.  It is not like a theatrical spotlight, step into it and perform a little, then step out of it and think we won't be noticed for what we do when we are out of it!  We LIVE IN it 100% of the time!  That is why God says nothing escapes his notice.  The light of Christ in our lives really keeps us humble - it keeps us from being one way on the surface while we are acting another way deep down inside.  When his light is allowed free access to every area of our lives, we may still not be entirely obedient, but when we are not, there is an immediate evidence of that disobedience.  We call that conviction and we want to run to God with it, or else we will deal with guilt and shame for a long time.

Jesus is talking to the Pharisee religious leaders of the day.  Whenever I think of what the Pharisees acted like, here is my little way of remembering:  A Pharisee lived a life that said, "I am pretty all right by the things I do and the things I don't do!"  It was kind of like saying, "I am a FAIR - I - SEE".  They saw themselves as okay in God's eyes, working to be right with God by the things they did or did not do.  To that, Jesus says, his followers have all the light they need to know exactly how to live and how to avoid the things in life that will trip them up - no set of rules and interpretations of rules were going to do that!

The fact is that we get "tripped up" in life - we call that sin.  We only "trip up" because we don't use the light we have been given.  It is kind of like walking around in the dark, fully aware that there are things in the room that will hurt us when we run into them, and doing it anyway!  When we choose to use the light we have been given, we call that obedience.  So, the choice is ours - either we use what we have been given, or we walk in the dark hoping to avoid the dangers.  Hopefully, as we grow more accustomed to the Light of Christ in our lives, we won't want to be without it so often!  The more we use what he provides in his Word, his teachings, his Spirit, and others he places in our lives as mentors, the more we become accustomed to being "in the light".  

So, the follower of Christ need never be in the dark about life.  The light we need is right there for our taking.  Sometimes, all we need to do is ask Jesus to make it a little brighter!  We don't step in and out of the "spotlight", performing one way in the light and another out, with any great satisfaction.  In fact, we usually find that we get pretty fatigued with being one way when we are "on stage" and another when we are "off stage".  If "spotlight" living has been your tendency, perhaps you need to ask Jesus to turn on the house lights!  You might see what you have been missing!

A lock and a key

¹⁹"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."

(Matthew 16:19)

In this passage, Jesus is finishing a discussion with his disciples that began with the question, "Who do you really think I am?"  One of the most revealing questions we can ask is for someone to really begin to openly testify to who they think we really are.  We open the door to allowing others to be honest with us about what we have revealed about ourself in both our words and our actions.  Peter gives Jesus an answer that is just exactly what he hoped for - you are the Christ.  In other words, you are the Messiah.  Jesus had revealed enough of himself that Peter really "got" who Jesus was - or at least he had a glimpse of the truth.

Jesus' response to Peter is revealing - it shows us that when we begin to see Jesus as who he really is, there is much more opened to us in response to that first revelation.  Peter did not really "get" Jesus totally - he had a small revelation of the Messiah that would expand over many years of faithful service to him.  Yet, this was a starting point - it was like a key opening a lock and beginning to reveal the hidden treasures within a room.

Jesus tells him that he is giving him the "keys" to open any door - no more barriers between heaven and earth.  In the King James it says that whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, or whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Whether we consider binding or loosing, opening or shutting, we begin to see the value of the keys.  He who holds the keys has access - he also can limit the access.

The key fits or it doesn't.  I had a key ring with about twenty keys on it for padlocks, gates, doors, and I am not sure what else.  It sat in the drawer in the garage for years.  I don't know where it came from - I think we just added to it every time we found a key that we weren't sure about.  One day, I was in a cleaning mood and guess what - I threw them away.  When I finally came across a padlock later that day, I had to throw it away, too.  Why?  I no longer knew where the key was!  The lock had been separated from the key and there was no recognizing the use of the key when it was out of proximity to the lock.  Without the key, the lock was useless.  When Jesus gives us the keys to bind or loose, he intends for us to stay in close proximity to him so that we are always aware of how to use the keys.

In school, my teachers used to let me grade tests.  I usually finished my work early and they'd let me do extra tasks around the classroom that helped them out in the end.  Whenever they did this, they gave me the "key" to the exam.  It contained the answers.  I'd compare the answer on the key to the one the student filled in on their paper.  If it matched perfectly, they got a good grade on their exam.  It it did not, they might have to redo their work or even take the class over again.  That key held the answers and it was very valuable.  The keys that Jesus gives to his kids hold the answers, as well.  There is an unlocking of knowledge in the use of the various "keys" he gives to his kids.

We need to become skilled with the use of the keys of the kingdom - knowing what they unlock and realizing the value or worth of those keys.  When we do, we will likely open much more of what needs to be loosed, and close much more of what needs to be bound.  There are possibilities within each of us that need to be loosed - the key to unlocking those possibilities is already in our possession.  We just need to connect it to the lock!

But I don't get it!

³Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."

 ⁴"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?"

(John 3:3-4)

We began to look at the story of Nicodemus yesterday.  As we continue to day, keep in mind that Nicodemus was a Pharisee.  The Pharisees were religious leaders of the day - supposedly the experts on the interpretation of scripture, the wisdom of the day dwelt in them.  He starts his conversation that late night with Jesus with an observation and a question.  He tells Jesus that people recognize him as a great teacher from God.  He comes to this conclusion because of the simple fact that Jesus has done tremendous miracles in front of them and they cannot deny that God must be behind those miracles.

It is important to recognize that he probably wasn't there as a representative of the Pharisees - otherwise he would not have had to come under the cloak of darkness, hiding the fact that he was consulting with the "great teacher".  Jesus is always aware of the real reason for our "visits" with him, despite our tendency to beat around the bush.  He comes straight to the point of what Nicodemus really needs to know - unless a person is born from above, it is impossible to see what this "great teacher" is pointing to!

Jesus doesn't spend any time contradicting Nicodemus about the fact that he is a great teacher.  He could have started with, "Hey, Dude, don't get me wrong, but great teacher doesn't do me justice!"  Then launched into the fact that he is the Son of God on earth to bring salvation to his people!  But...true to form, Jesus does what no other can do - he meets Nicodemus exactly at the level where Nicodemus could understand him.  He does this by posing a simple parable - unless a man is born from above.

This absolutely flies over the head of Nicodemus.  He just doesn't get it.  In fact, he thinks Jesus is literal in his saying that a man must be "born again".  In turn, he asks Jesus the question, "How can I go back into the womb?"  A legitimate question if one is looking at this idea from a perfectly natural sense.  Our questions often reflect the depth of our revelation of God at that very moment in our lives.  We often have a limited revelation of God wherever it is that we are struggling the most to understand the facts presented to us in the Word, in prayer, etc.

We often approach the revelation of God in his Word, through spiritual teaching, in prayer, in a purely natural or secular manner.  Yet God asks for us to listen through the ears of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit that will reveal deep truths for those with ears to hear and hearts to respond.  Often, we limit our understanding of God and his tremendous love for us because we are simply trying to "pigeon-hole" him into our "framework" of what he is like, how he responds, etc.  God's hope for his kids is that we will stop trying to approach his revelation through our own understanding.

Here is a challenge for you:  The next time you are up against a revelation from God that seems too challenging for you to really "get", simply step back a moment.  In that moment of reflection ask God to help you see this through his eyes instead of through the limitations of your own understanding.  You will be amazed at what God can do when we are willing to stop "processing" his revelation through the limitations of our own past experiences! 

Directionally challenged

The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
   The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.
   The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.
   The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. 

(Psalm 19:7-8)

To many, the revelation of God is a foreign thing - they just don't see him, or acknowledge him in their day-to-day existence.  Yet, the revelation of God "pulls" at the heart-strings of our lives - because each of us is made to have God in our lives.  So, why do so many reject God when he is right in front of them and when they have a unique part of their being that was designed to be filled up with him?  It is kind of like having a clothes closet and then choosing to buy dressers to contain the clothing, leaving the closet empty.  The closet never serves the purpose for which it was designed.  It exists - but it is totally empty or devoid of what it has a potential of being.  We also can exist - but are also quite empty in the living when we exclude God from our lives!

Our psalmist reminds us that God's revelation of himself is not piece-meal.  It is whole - with that very wholeness of God making us each whole in turn.  Let's break the passage down a little:

• The revelation of God is WHOLE - there is no exception in how God reveals himself - his revelation is total, complete, without reserve.  There might be an exception in when he reveals himself - like to a ready heart or a listening ear. 
• The revelation of God PULLS our lives together - without God's revelation, we live pretty scattered lives.  We may "look like" we have it all together, but we actually are quite "disjointed" in our living.  I was amazed this week at how many places in scripture really define God's work in bringing us to himself, keeping us consistent in our walk, and in creating the change in our lives that bring us to a place where we reveal Christ fully.  It is his work of "pulling" us that caught my eye - it is not even our effort - it is his!  He moves us from one point in our growth (a place of revelation) to the next.
• The signposts of God are CLEAR and POINT out the right road - without the revelation of God in our lives, we really don't possess the clarity we need to interpret what we perceive with accuracy.  His purpose in bringing clarity into a situation is to give us direction - pointing us in the right direction.  We often receive much advice in circumstances beyond our immediate understanding - but nothing brings clarity like the ability to see the circumstance through the eyes of God.  It is often in this moment of revelation that we begin to process the circumstances through the eyes of those around us - not just through our own.  We look at how it is affecting us all - in turn, we begin to evaluate the direction that is not constantly directed at meeting just our needs alone.
• The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to JOY - someone once told me that happiness was something that carried a price tag, but joy was priceless.  I think they were truthful in that estimate.  We often find moments, experiences in time, when we feel "happy".  Yet, happiness differs so much from joy.  Joy is not situational - you don't need the circumstances to be perfect to know joy.  Joy is condition that is a direct result of revelation - God in us produces joy.  We may still experience hard times - those things that affect our "happiness" level - but we go through them with joy unspeakable.
• The directions of God are PLAIN and easy on the eyes - we complicate the revelation of God by trying to make his ways more difficult to understand. His ways are PLAIN - they are transparent.  

God delights in revealing himself, his plans, and his purposes - to watchful eyes, hungry hearts, and open spirits.  When we give him access, he fills us to overflowing.  When we invite his revelation, we are met with that which may not have been evident at first, but in the inviting of his revelation becomes totally apparent.  It is not wise to live in the dark when light is so nearby.  It is not a sign of wisdom to reject truth, but embrace a lie.  Comprehension is just around the corner - we only need to invite in the one who is the revealer of all things.

Invitation to attend

¹⁸ If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. 

(Proverbs 29:18)

It has occurred to me that not knowing what God is doing is often the condition of many of our hearts each day - we are "along for the ride", but oblivious to the destination.  One of the questions the pastor asked yesterday was, "What is this Christian experience all about anyway?"  It occurred to me this morning that many of us would have a hard time with that question - not because we aren't enjoying our salvation, but because we really aren't sure what we are doing with our salvation.

Our passage puts it pretty plainly.  We can head out for a destination - not knowing the reason we are travelling the road we are on, oblivious to the traveling companions we have along the way - all the while making forward progress of some sort.  The question we need to ask is if it the "right" progress?  Are we really heading in the way we should be heading?  There is much to be said for "blind trust" in God's plan for our lives - but I think God wants us to have at least "glimpses" of his purpose!  Without a vision, the people perish.

Attending to what God reveals takes some pretty intense effort on our parts.  First, and foremost, we have to be exposed to his truth.  There are a variety of ways to be exposed - through a message preached, a blog written, or by discovery of his truths directly from his Word.  We can be just as "under-nourished" spiritually as we can be physically - just by taking in stuff we don't really need at that moment, but it is convenient.  Just living on a diet of truth that someone else has gleaned for us from the Word is like eating pre-prepared food all the time.  We will receive something, but we won't have the reward of discovering the many ingredients that went into its preparation.

Second, we have to be invested in the process of discovery of God's plan.  Our writer puts it as "attending to" - in other words, paying attention!  When we attend to what God reveals, we are devoting ourselves to the mission of following what he purposes for us.  We are committed to tend that truth as though it were a secret garden just revealed to us for our enjoyment.  We are invested in the outcome of what that garden produces - not just in the enjoyment of its wonderful fragrances.

Last, but certainly not least, God is the one doing the revealing - we are simply placing ourselves in a position to be available to the revelation.  There are many times I hear news reports about a comet that is passing by - not set to appear again for another fifty years.  I want to be able to see it, but am I willing to pay the price of being up at 2 a.m. to see it?  Not really!  If it could show up before 9 p.m. I'd be much happier!  I don't get to see the comet, even though it is right there revealing itself to me for my enjoyment, all because I am not willing to place myself in a position to enjoy its revealing!  

When we place ourselves in the position to receive revelation - open heart, readied mind, available spirit, obedient will - we are never disappointed.  God's delight is in blessing us with more revelation of his plan and purpose when our heart is set on discovery.  His wisdom is imparted when a mind is readied to receive truth.  His Spirit is set on opening us up to new possibilities when our spirit is in alignment with his.  His leading becomes our delight when our will is submitted obediently to his purpose.  In fact, as our passage says, we become "most blessed" when we are open to God's revelation.  The key is in "attending" to that revelation.  

Mine Fields and Waves Galore

¹⁸ If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. 

(Proverbs 29:18  The Message Bible)

This same passage can be translated: "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction."  (NIV)  The idea is that we are often people that seem to require being "in the know" as it applies to what is coming next in our lives.  As we well know, this seldom happens.  We plan and prepare, but often the best of plans becomes nonsensical when dealing with the things that present themselves at our doorstep demanding our attention and energies.  This passage considers the idea of "revelation".  For us to understand the passage, we must understand that word.

First, revelation carries the idea of disclosing something that had otherwise or previously been hidden.  It is common in church circles to say that we don't know what God is doing, but that we will just trust him with the outcome.  That is certainly commendable, but we fail to admit just how much we are struggling with "not knowing" what God is doing!  We find ourselves stumbling around in the dark and hoping that we are going to come into a place of light sometime soon.  This is not the way God wants to have us proceeding through life.  He wants to give us opportunities for disclosure - times when he brings us into the knowledge of what he is about to do.

Second, revelation brings the idea of communication.  For communication to be effective, it must be two-way.  Much of our communication with God is simply one-way....we pray and expect him to listen, answer, and reveal.  There are times when God may be asking us to do the listening, answering, and revealing - in hopes that true communication will occur.  There is something powerful in "good" communication - it cements relationship, building strong foundations.

Last, but not least, it carries the idea of inspiration.  When we are brought to a place where vision is created, there is an internal igniting of passion to pursue what we are seeing clearly.  A good leader will first create the vision around what he is desiring to accomplish, then will assist those around him to lay hold of that vision, its possibilities, and its challenges.  Together, they tackle the challenges - through the innovation of the whole, there is an ability to overcome what challenges the one.

Without revelation (disclosure, communication, and inspiration), we cast off restraint.  In other words, there is nothing to restrain us from taking one course of action over another.  We are aimless.  Aimless people accomplish absolutely random things.  There is no order to what is created.  Good may come out of this type of effort, but it is certainly not as good as if we understood what we were doing, its purpose, and how it fits into a bigger plan.

Attending to what God discloses is the key within this passage.  There is a song I have come to love.  Some of the lyrics of this song present the idea that we are going through life "dancing through the mine-fields" and "sailing through the storms".  Now, most of you will admit that you rarely see mine-fields as places to dance!  In fact, you'd avoid them at all costs.  Putting to sail in the midst of a storm is also another treacherous venture that none undertake too willingly.  The thing is, we can dance through the mine-fields and sail through the storms if there is "disclosure" about how to navigate them! 

Mine-fields are nothing to God!  Neither is the storm!  Where there is revelation, there is the ability to navigate safely.  Not just picking through them a little step here or there, but dancing through them!  Not just taking one wave at a time, but riding high upon the peaks of white-water and propelled forward by the winds of adversity!  Revelation is the key to dancing and sailing!  Have you stopped long enough today to seek some revelation (disclosure, communication, and inspiration) from the one who knows where the mines are or when the next wave will come?