March 26th, 2021:God's Revelations

15 Beautiful Nature Paintings

Some people have been asking this question: Why doesn't God reveal Himself in ways that we can all see and understand Who He is and What He is about to do. It is a good question when we have to deal with recent horrible events. It demands us to look at everything with more than just our own set of eyes. I will not attempt to answer this question without considering some personal experiences.


There is a story about an unbelieving king and a rabbi who happened to be good friends. The rabbi came to visit the King one day. The king gave him the privilege to stay in the room in the palace that has the most beautiful view. So the rabbi decided to paint what he saw. It was an incredible work of art. The king was so impressed and asked his friend: "How did you do it?" The rabbi said to his friend: "It was nothing really. I just put the little paint here and some more there. They just came together accidentally" The King knew that his friend was pulling his leg because his worldview is that the whole nature just happened to be here as a cosmic accident, and there was no creator behind it.


We are very much like that king. We have taken much of God's beauty for granted. We might be able to see God's hand on things when we slow down and reflect on what we see. We might be able to appreciate the complexity behind that beauty. It is marvelous the way we think. Our brain is far more complex than any computer we can create. Yet, it just happens to be like that, as some folks might believe.


I have visited many people in hospitals because of my work. I am still intrigued by people's accounts of how God reveals Himself to them when they know that they cannot find answers for their predicaments anywhere else. I once went to see a woman who had dementia in a nursing home. The nursing staff asked me to see her because she had been yelling all day long. I didn't have an answer. I just did what I believe is true. I read Psalm 23 very slowly as we had tea together. She eventually calmed down and remained quiet. I prayed for her that she would be comforted by God to overcome her fear. She went to sleep peacefully. I believe that it was a moment of special revelation that she had with God.


We are sometimes afraid of God's special revelation to us because He will be truthful. Maybe we are running away from our true selves while God tells us to come near to Him. It is like a young kid who plays hide and seek with his mom or dad. He (she) wants to hide and yet hope her (his) parents would find him (her) at the same time. It might be fun not to be found. It is also scary at times.


Deuteronomy 29: 29

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."


Psalm 19: 1

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

 And the firmament shows His handiwork."

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