Secrets
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deut. 29:29 NIV
Do you like secrets? In thinking about this I determined that I do like secrets but only if I am the one keeping them. I admit that it sometimes irritates and agitates me if I know a secret is being kept from me. I even exhaust every means to get the person to divulge it.
The Scripture above tells us God keeps secrets. Sometimes we learn what the secret was, but sometimes we never know why a situation turned out the way it did. We can find rest in this as we grow in the Lord.
Years ago, I was praying hard for my friend in another state who was not able to conceive. She and her husband desperately wanted a child. I found out a good friend of mine lived next door to a young, unwed, girl who was pregnant. She had already decided to give her baby up for adoption. I approached the young woman and her father. (The girl’s mother was never on the scene). I wrote up a detailed description of the couple and the type of life they would be able to offer a child. I was sure this was it. Come on God, let this happen was my prayer over and over. I just knew it was the answer for both parties.
The young woman did give her baby up for adoption but not to my friend. She was more comfortable with going through an adoption agency. Then my prayer became, “Lord, what happened? It seemed so perfect.” I was devastated and perplexed.
Sometime later my friend and her husband separated, went back together, adopted a baby,
and then divorced within a couple of years. I am not saying a divorced parent (of which there are many through no choice of their own) can not offer a good upbringing to children.
I am saying that with my personality I would have felt a great responsibility to the child had I been instrumental in placing it in a home that eventually was broken by divorce. Then my prayer became, “Thank you Lord, that you did not answer my prayer the way I prayed. You saved me a lot of grief over my life time.You were watching out for me.”
I have found comfort in the Scripture above on many occasions and I return often to Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” NIV
This Scripture is sometimes cut short with,” all things work together for good” and God is blamed for various calamities that befall mankind with the words, “God is in control.” I do believe God is all powerful and is sovereign but, sometimes He does not exercise that sovereignty. ”We have to remember we have an enemy that is roaming around seeking whom he may devour. We must note the conditions on this promise – that we love Him and, that we are fulfilling His call on our lives as best we know how.
There are secrets that God reveals eventually and, there are secrets that we have to wait for eternity to find out the answer. Let us rest trusting in His goodness toward His children.
Lord, help me to learn to rest in your goodness and not to have to try to figure out all the things I do not understand. Help me to grow into a quiet. calm person trusting in you more.