The Plumbline

Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT) What remarkable secrets is God just waiting to unfold for you if you'd only ask? The issue is not that we have a stingy, secretive God - it is that we don't ask him to reveal those 'hidden things'. The more we seek God's wisdom, the more he unfolds it. Scripture reminds us, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." (James 1:5) He is indeed a generous God and delights in unveiling our eyes. Veiled eyes may see, but do they see as clearly as when the veil is removed? Absolutely not! The veil over our eyes may seem like it is 'permanent', so we just live with the uncertainties it creates. God's hope is that we will seek his help in removing it so we can see clearly all the things he delights in showing his children. Remarkable secrets - things we didn't even know were part of...

Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. (Philippians 1:20 MSG) Our passage today comes after Paul was placed in prison, held for preaching the gospel message. He had such hope of his release, eventual continuation of his apostolic journeys, and the continued establishment of new churches throughout the then known world. He never got out of prison, though. His circumstances did not change, yet he continued to do what God called him to do, regardless of how his life seemed to be changing for what others may have seen as the worst possible thing. Even in his imprisoned state, whether in a jail cell or under some form of Roman house arrest, he continued to do what God put on his heart. It is indeed a good thing to fulfill what God beckons us to do - to have hope that the mission he has called us to perform will continue even when the circumstances seem to be pointing us in a different ...