Groping in the Dark:
It is very frustrating to know something is near at hand, even faintly visible, and yet when you focus in to apprehend it, it becomes elusive and evades you. In the mornings, as I grope around in the near-dark looking for my watch (which is black in color), I know about where it rests. Intellectually I remember placing it upon the nightstand the previous evening. As I scan that general area with the aid of the alarm clock's glowing numerals, I can distinguish it's form, yet when I zero in and focus on it directly, hoping to snatch it from the blackness and strap it to my wrist, I find I've lost sight of it. Trial and error in this murky world teaches me that to "see" it I can not look directly at it. I must train my vision to look for it's outline, it's shadowy silhouette against the dark background. What I "see" I must peer around, peripherally, making out faintly just the edges. It's not so much actually "seeing" what I'm straining for as it is observing it's effect upon the background where it resides. In this indirect fashion, God's Holy Spirit is revealing to us the "vision" we must employ as well in order to "see" our Lord.Moses:
In Exodus chapter 3, when Moses encountered God at Mt. Horeb, what majestic sight was he privy to? A shrub! Granted, it was on fire and resistant to incendiary consumption, but it was a scruffy desert shrub nonetheless. God's holiness and glory were not immediately evident. Moses approached that peculiar sight with mere curiosity, not reverent awe and caution. It wasn't until God had Moses' attention with this subtle misdirection that He finally spoke and revealed Himself, causing Moses to fearfully hide his face lest he see God (v. 6). Obviously God could directly captivate our attention, but, as with Moses, He seems to prefer subtlety. He reveals Himself to us as we observe His creation around us, and see His effect upon it.Elijah:
In 1 Kings chapter 19, we see Elijah, troubled and pursued by Jezebel. He is nearing the breaking point; tired and resigned to his fate, he prays for death to end his suffering. God however, sends an angel to strengthen him and Elijah is able to travel to Mt. Horeb, the very place Moses first encountered God. It is here that God begins to reveal Himself to Elijah in a very special, yet indirect fashion.God 'distracts' Elijah with some very powerful events; He doesn't reveal Himself in a mountain-shattering wind storm. He is also absent from a rumbling earthquake and a raging inferno. God initially sent, but was not present in these supernaturally created events. At this point, as Elijah is standing on a mountain side waiting for the Lord, he must have been wondering what cataclysmic event was due next. But our God, the Creator, has now 'distracted' Elijah enough to make his point. He gently and lovingly whispers in Elijah's ear, "What are you doing here Elijah?" Immediately, the prophet covers his face with his cloak in order to prevent an inadvertent glimpse of God (v. 13).As I grope and stumble through my life trying to find and apprehend God, I notice that on far too many occasions I make a noisy temperamental tirade to get attention or vent displeasure. That is not the way of Lord however. Subtlety and the 'indirect approach' are His ways.Esther:
The book of Esther tells a dramatic story of God's marvelous provision and protection in the face of intense evil and hatred. Yet it is notable that the words "God" or Lord" are not mentioned in this Old Testament epic at all. God is showing us His presence in all things. He wants us to "see" (spiritually) His continual involvement in our lives, but He resists drawing direct attention to Himself. Our Lord is not deceptive, just somewhat indirect. He simply desires that we seek Him with all of our being. Pure devotion, undefiled by the distractions this world has to offer, is what He craves from us. The Bride of Christ must long for nothing more than Her Betrothed.Jesus Is Coming !:
'The coming of a savior' is the real theme of the Bible. It is expressed in a variety of forms from Genesis through the Pentateuch, historical books and the prophets, finally appearing in the flesh in the Gospels. In the epistles, Jesus is described in the language of the Old Testament Law and sacrificial system as our Atonement and Redeemer. Finally we see in Revelation that Jesus is "The lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" (13:8), which completes the golden circuit and leads us back again to Genesis.In the Gospels, when God is revealed in the flesh, He comes, not with fanfare or acclaim, but as quietly and humbly as can be. He is born in what today we would call a barn. His first bed was an animal's feeding trough. To be sure, there were many prophesies pointing to the incarnation of God, and some few did pay attention, but not many. He arrived from Heaven virtually unknown and unheralded by those He came to save. I believe that's the way He wanted it, quiet, indiscreet and somewhat indirect.Philip:
In John 14:6 Jesus tells us that the path to the Father is through Him and Him alone; no exceptions. Philip however, is too impatient to wait for the revelation of what that exactly means. He pointedly remarks, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us", (v. 8). Jesus' reply reveals the indirect approach God took in the sending of His Son; "Don't you know me Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father", (v. 9).Philip was staring intently, hoping to get a direct view of the Father. I was also staring intently looking for my watch on the nightstand. We had the same problem. If he had just noticed the shadowy edges of God's outline, he would have "seen" that which he sought was so near at hand!Application:
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please God." Why? Because we must believe in Him without direct observation. Again, in my simple example, I can clearly see my watch on the nightstand with the lights on; no faith is required to know where it is. However in the near-dark I must use the "indirect vision" of looking around where I believe my watch might be. There is an element of faith required in the latter. As with God, intellectual knowledge of where my watch is doesn't place it upon my wrist, I must choose to apprehend it and secure it there. In the same manner, intellectual knowledge of God has no effect upon our spiritual nature. We must, via faith, reach out to Him through His Son Jesus; "But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). Just as my watch is somewhat hidden yet near at hand, so is our Lord; "God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27).Does it seem unfair that God 'hovers' so close and yet waits for us to reach first? He thinks so; listen to the Apostle Paul. "For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities (indirectness!) - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made (creation), so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). If God says that He has invisible qualities that are clearly seen, then I am going to look for them all around me. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29)."Look" For Jesus:
A favorite hymn of mine exhorts us to "turn your eyes upon Jesus". Yet Jesus Himself said this in Matthew 25:37-40; "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " We must look for God in everything we see and hear. Your physical senses will feed your spirit and tell you where God is or isn't. In the early morning hours as I prepare for my day, I'm looking for more than my watch in a darkened room. I also peer around spiritually to find God's silhouette against the darkened background of this physical world. He is there, just as He has promised us He would be, not hiding, as some may think. He is simply taking the indirect approach.
The Indirect Approach
The Goodsoil Discipleship Ministry
By Bro. Andy Madonio
November 27, 1996
Introduction:
A comedian once said that it's the female mosquito that buzzes loudly enough for us to hear her, not the male. It's only the male, however, that actually does the biting. So, this fellow reasoned, when you're lying in bed in the still of the night and you hear that incessant buzzing around your head -- relax and fret not. But, if you're lying there and you hear nothing . . . . .!?!?Seriously, if mosquitoes are usually too obvious and rudely intrusive, don't we often wish that God would be just as apparent to us? We want Him to be like billboards, but He usually is not. Be prepared and take heart however, for when you think He has abandoned you, or you feel He isn't even watching, that is when He is most likely standing in the shadows right under your nose.