The Hiddenness of God

[Episkopos]

Greetings to all,

We are to be stewards of a great mystery. The mystery of God's grace towards men. Many will say that this isn't such a mystery but this is to miss the depth of the truth and the power it has over our lives.

So often we use the word bluntly as if we are playing with plastic swords...as children do. But at one point we realize that the word is sharp and powerful..and meant to be wielded carefully with love and an expert hand like a surgeon.

We can do a lot of damage when we swing at people with the truth...at whatever level we have come into it. So we must be careful to not needlessly offend...and only speak that which is edifying for others.

This means we need to hold back very often until the right time to speak the deeper things of God. God will entrust His truth to they who can keep a secret. The deeper the understanding of the depths of the truth...the more careful we must become. What encourages one person could discourage another. Discernment is important as people tend to be fragile.

Jesus was careful in this in that He ...

Is. 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

This lesson is for me. To become more righteous in dealing justice in communicating the mysteries of the hidden God. We must tread carefully and wisely...in order to be pleasing to God and an effective witness of His grace.

Peace to all.

 

[Willie T]

A man I admired greatly wrote this:

I want to be more loving in my heart. I want to be more loving.

Often there are good and sufficient reasons for exercising what seems a clear direct resentment. Again and again I find it hard to hold in check the sharp retort, the biting comeback, even when it seems that someone has done violence to my self respect and decent regard. How natural it seems to give as good as I get. To take nothing lying down, to announce to all and sundry in a thousand ways that no one can run over me and get away with it.

All this is a part of the thicket in which my heart gets caught again and again. But deep within me I want to be more loving. To glow with a warmth that will take the chill off of the room, which I share with those whose lives touch mine in the traffic of my goings and comings.

I want to be more loving. I want to be more loving in my heart.

It is often easy to have the idea in mind, the plan to be more loving; to see it with my mind and give consent to the thought of being loving. This is crystal clear. But I want to be more loving in my heart. I must feel like loving. I must ease the tension in my heart that ejects the sharp barb, the stinging word.

I want to be more loving with unconscious awareness and deliberate intent: Unconscious awareness and deliberate intent. I shall be a kind, a gracious human being. Thus those who walk the way with me may find it easier to love. To be gracious because of the love of God which is increasingly expressed in my living. I want to be more loving in my heart.

~Howard Thurman

 

[Episkopos]

Amen Willie T.

The truth is difficult enough even when love is present. It becomes intolerable when wielded as if the speaking of truth is more important than the person we are trying to reach. The truth is everlasting...but we humans only have a limited amount of time to get into the truth. It is not offensive to God that we deal out the truth in whatever amounts that love permits. In fact, it is Christ-like.

Paul learned this...I can have all understanding and know all mysteries but if I don't have love...I have nothing.

 

[Episkopos]

We can only discern God by entering into a greater love. So also the greater the truth the more love we need to have from within to communicate it. It is about entering into a hidden place in the Spirit where God resides. Then our life is hid with God in a place where we need to discover more and more.

Walking in the Spirit is to walk in His love. That is the 4th dimension...the spiritual dimension...which is love. This is an eternal love together with a peace that passes understanding.

So we discover God all around us when we walk in love. And the opposite is true...we discover love when we walk with God. God is love.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

Oh, His Grace is a mystery to ME! WHY, I ask Him do You bestow so much Grace...seemingly unwarranted? i don't mean answering all my prayers within 24 hrs....I mean Grace like Heavenly Stardust dropping through the ethers from the Other Side poured right into me!
In the middle of the day!
I guess it's His way of drawing me closer...and it works! LOL...;)