Keeping Secrets
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of May 7, 2023
I love that God reveals Himself and His secrets to us. I’ve learned that keeping them or sharing them depends on the wisdom of God in regards to purpose, people, approach and timing.
When I think of the secret that Mary, the mother of Jesus, carried and the responsibility of such divine purpose, I can barely imagine it. The life or death level of obedience that was required of her to deliver God’s big promise to the world amid threatening surroundings must’ve felt impossible at times. Not knowing exactly what would happen next, as she fled to safety, surely caused her to cling to God even more.
And, just like with Mary, God sometimes keeps details that threaten us from us.
In my own life, I’ve learned that God, in His kindness, will reveal elements of life to me to set my heart on His righteous expectations. It's more than a holy gesture and an outreach of love. It’s His guidance for divine protection and provision to the point of life over death. It’s to help keep my focus on Him so I keep the faith and make righteous decisions amid chaos.
Even when Jesus grew up and began His ministry, as we know it in the mysterious Gospels, His identity was relatively hidden from the world until it was time for it to be fully revealed. Father God knew the impact and persecution His Son would have as He was increasingly presented to the world. Every marker was graciously timed and purposed.
Likewise, when God prepares us to enter into our destinies, He prepares us for new beginnings. Only after we’ve entered into a thing do we receive the sustaining grace to develop and establish it. If you’ve ever gotten married, you know what I mean. It’s a process that happens progressively. This is why we feel like we don't have all the answers to accomplish a thing at the forefront. It’s a trust walk above fear, where God reveals His secrets to us as we walk with Him. He also keeps secrets for a time along the way (Luke 24:16). But He has us the whole way.
When I think of Ruth, I’m reminded, especially of her courage to keep choosing life after death for a new beginning, to keep moving forward when all seemed lost. I think of the wise guidance God provided for her through Naomi and the faith it must’ve taken for her to keep believing, to keep heading into a new land to find a new life. I think of the growth and level of spiritual maturity it surely required and the days of gritty work. But the beauty of it all is that God worked on her behalf the whole time to provide a kinsman-redeemer as she kept moving closer to God daily.
Likewise, every day that we choose faith as we live our lives, God is working on our behalves to bring us into new life and greater life. As we trust Him and move with Him, He will show us which way to go, leading us to safety and fulfillment of His purpose alongside Him. The secrets we hold in our hearts fuel us. The ones He reveals to us in the secret place.
When I think of Esther, and how she risked her life approaching the king to save a nation of people. How so much was plotted against her and them. But how God took care of them all—protecting and working to give Esther overflow favor for her obedience, as she risked her life for divine purpose beyond herself.
When I drill down into Luke 8:17, I see the core of Esther’s story. The ESV says, "For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light."
The word “hidden” here means “secret parts, inward nature (character),” according to Strong’s (#2927). The word “secret” in this verse means stored up and treasured (Strong’s #614).
So, from the purposed time Esther entered into and served out her role as queen, God secretly developed her character, revealed His treasure and pierced the darkness with His light (Esther 7:10). God’s priority was the purity of gold and it prevailed. So, where the mixture of Vashti was banished, Esther aligned with God and reigned victorious (Esther 1:19, 8:15).
Like Esther and Ruth and Mary and Jesus, we can carry God’s secret plan and make decisions that align with His will (Romans 16:25 NLT). When we know God’s secret, we can rise in His strength of truth in the midst of impurities and let Him graciously work it all out for His Glory. And we can trust Him in the areas we don’t yet understand, remembering that He makes everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Pray with me if you will . . .
Dear Lord,
Thank You for choosing me to carry Your purposed secrets. I embrace Your ways and choose to take courage to step out into Your Kingdom assignments for Your Glory. Help me to steward Your secrets wisely, with great honor to You. Thank You for revealing Your wisdom and “remarkable secrets” to me that I didn’t know about things to come (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT).
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
Originally published Sunday, 07 May 2023.
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