Mysteries of God

I have been reading So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore.  This morning I read a powerful sentence on page 196 of her book.  It reads, "One of the most fascinating things about God is that He reserves the right to retain His mystery."  This sentence was strangely comforting to me.  As I continued in her book she went on into the next chapter to discuss the tree of knowledge of good and evil mentioned in Genesis 2 and 3.  She discussed our temptation to still want to be like God as "omniscience: the ability to know it all and see it all" so we can control the knowledge.  As I read these pages I realized that instead of controlling the information we seek we end up with information overload and then become controlled by the information itself.  I found comfort in the words that God can continue to be mysterious to us.  I don't have to know all there is about God and I don't have to know all that God knows.  He releases information to me on a need to know basis.  When I go looking for information that he has not chosen to disclose to me, I can be guilty of sin like Eve.  While that was the point of part of the chapter.  I want to go a little farther with the thought of the mystery of God.  I went looking for verses that talk about the mystery of God.  I found that the book of Colossians is rich with discussions of the mystery of God.  The interesting point in Colossians is that God has chosen to reveal his mysteries to us.  Colossians 1:25-27 reads "...God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."  Again Colossians 2:2,3 reads "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  God has revealed his mysteries to us through Christ.  We can know God through his Word yet there are still some things too wonderful for us to understand.  In the book of Job, Zophar asked Job, "Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?  They are higher than the heavens - what can you do?  They are deeper than the depths of the grave - what can you know?"   Job responds to God later in the book.  "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."  When the seventy-two returned to Jesus after sending them ahead of him, they were full of joy.  Jesus then prayed, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."  God has chosen to reveal some of his mysteries to us through His Son, Jesus.  What joy!  Our Lord loves us so much that he wants to share his mysteries with us.  He withholds those things that are too much for us.  Even Moses did not get to see the full glory of God.  God knows what we can handle and gives us what we need to know.  Trust him and relish in the fact that he is more powerful than we are and that he is always in control if we will only allow him to be.  Take comfort that he has chosen to hold some of his mystery so that we can honor and respect him and have something to look forward to when Christ comes again.  Allowing God to retain his mysteries releases us to bask in his control.  Will you not allow the mystery of God to envelope you today and bask in the knowledge of his control of your life?  Let him wrap His arms around you and hold you tight and just let go.  What joy and what peace!

Women and the home

My husband has been writing a series of articles concerning the role of women in the church and the spiritual leadership of men.  To read his blog please follow this link - http://instrument-rated-theology.com/.  I would like to write to the women for a little bit.  In Titus 2:3-5 it reads "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (NIV)  A few years ago I read several books written by Elizabeth George and she really opened up the depth of these verses for me.  I really picked up on the busy at home and all that can mean.  So many women are in the outside workplace and they have lost the joy and fulfillment of what it means to be busy at home.  We have been sold a lie that if we stay home we are wasting our talents and gifts and that we will not be fulfilled.  Nothing is farther from the truth.  We have been sold a lie that our children need and deserve all the latest toys and electronics so we need to work outside the home to provide all of this.  We are even being sold the lie that we no longer need men because we can do it all ourselves.  I have heard many women say they can do the job better than men.  There are positions that are uniquely suited to women.  Women in nursing and teaching jobs are a blessing because of the natural nurturing instincts of a woman.  We are blessed with an extra measure of tenderness.  We do need study and look at Titus 2:3-5 more and learn what it means for us as women individually and for women at large.  So many women point to the Proverbs 31 woman and say that she worked outside the home.  Did she?  Or - did she use her time wisely and sell from her home or in such a way that it did not interfere with her training of her children and caring for her household?  Let's encourage those who have chosen to be busy at home.  Let's encourage our men to work and lead us both spiritually and in every other way that encourages them to follow God's plan for families.